Thanks to everyone who enjoyed my pilot chapter!
Chapter 2 - Nevarro
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"So you have any planets in mind?" Mando asked, breaking the silence for the first time since they took off hours ago.
"No," she replied.
He swiveled in his seat to better face her. "No?"
"No."
After a moment, he sighed. "Do you have a type of planet in mind?"
"No." She looked the helmet where his eyes would be.
His shoulders slouched. "You didn't think any of this through, did you?"
"No," she repeated.
"Do you know any other words other than no?"
"Yes."
With a frustrated noise, his helmet hit the back of his headrest. He swiveled back around to face the controls.
What? She answered all his questions honestly, what more did he want? Not like he was much of a talker either, which was nice. Nothing was worse then feigning interest.
Not like he was in a rush, either. His nav wasn't set to any specific planet. He'd probably stop wherever to get supplies and do another mission, or whatever bounty hunters called their jobs. The longer he'd let her tag along, the more planets she'd get to see before deciding on one.
"Do you have a name, at least?"
Her eyes landed on his reflection on the window. "Atohra Asetka."
He nodded, saying nothing further.
Once again, the cockpit fell to silence. Time passed slowly despite the stars whizzing by. Planets passed in and out of sight, each a different size and color. Even Canto Bight, the vast city that never slept, had disappeared into a horizon of sand as they left the atmosphere.
With each planet that passed by was an opportunity. But which one? Thousands dotted the outer rim alone. All she could hope for was to see as many as possible before the bounty hunter decided she got what she paid for and made her pick one. Or perhaps he would abandon her on one. That would at least make the painful task of deciding which was perfect a lot easier.
It was getting late, though. Or at least it felt like it. Time wasn't really a thing in space, travelling sub light. Mando had grunted something about the one of the ship's secondary hyperdrive engines not functioning.
She got up and went back to the refresher. The sonic was small and cold on her bare feet. The whole ship was cold. Probably the result of some other thing being broken.
Slipping her nightgown back on, she headed to bed. The single blanket was rather scratchy. Probably imitation govath-wool. Still, it was better than nothing. Better than being home. Or worse, with Sodun and wherever he came from.
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She opened her eyes to a dark hull. All was quiet except for the rattling objects against the wall and soft breathing coming from the top bunk. The noise continued as she lied there. It sounded like…he was still wearing his helmet. Odd.
Ever so carefully, she got out of her bunk and around to the ladder up to his. She climbed up slowly, just enough to peek over his boots.
His boots?
Not only was the man on top of the blankets, he was still in full armor; helmet and all. Was—was he worried someone was going to attack?
Was he worried she was going to attack?
As flattering as it was to think someone like him feared what she could do while he slept, it wasn't even close to accurate. Even her self defense skills were pitiful.
What was he afraid of? Her somehow incapacitating him and then commandeering his ship?
He'd taken down Sodun in a matter of seconds. It probably took more effort dragging him back to the casino than it took to capture him. And she was nothing compared to him.
Mando's helmet tilted up. "Need something?"
Atohra flinched, her fingers losing grip on the ladder, grabbing it again before falling off completely.
"No," she said and dropped back onto the floor.
A loud sigh came from his bunk.
She wrapped the blanket around her shoulders and sat down. How much longer till they got…somewhere?
A few more minutes passed before Mando got up as well. He climbed down the ladder and went straight to the cockpit, not sparing her a glance.
She followed him and sat in the same chair she did the night before. Maybe her presence would get him to talk more, or at least tell her what his plan was.
Mando sat back in his chair, gazing out the front window. Despite the ship's dilapidated state, it flew well enough.
She wrapped the blanket around her legs and over her feet. First chance she got she'd buy some warmer clothes. And food.
Mando turned around in his chair to face her once again. He slouched back in it and crossed his arms, helmet facing her direction.
What now? Was he analyzing her?
He stayed like that for quite a while. Just looking. Or maybe he fell asleep? She tilted her head, maybe if she looked just right, she could see past the black visor over his eyes.
"Don't talk much, do you?"
She jumped at the suddenness of his comment. "Neither do you."
"I'm not the one sitting on the edge of my seat waiting for an opportunity to."
Was that an invitation?
"So?" he asked.
Finally. "I was wondering where we were going first?"
"Nevarro to pick up supplies and get the engines fixed."
"How long until we get there?"
"Three standard hours."
"Ah."
Well that wasn't too bad. Nevarro was visible from Cantonica, or it would be if it weren't for the light pollution. What would it be like there? It was a volcanic planet, if memory served her correctly. Probably not much better than the desert.
Mando had turned back around, standing up and flipping a couple of switches above him. He was about to sit down, but paused as Atohra adjusted the blanket around her shoulders.
Another sigh.
He got up and nodded at her to follow. She got up, joining him beside the bunks.
He opened a container full of what looked like dark clothing. "I'm hoping to get the ships heating fixed soon," he said, pulling out a black piece of fabric and handing it to her.
Another blanket? It was softer than the one draped around her. Better quality, perhaps it was actual govath-wool.
He closed the lid and faced her. "You can wear that in the meantime."
Atohra turned over the fabric in her hands. Was it a coat or…?
Stepping forward, Mando took it from her and put it over her head. He went back to the cockpit without another word.
It was a cape. The same that he wore. She took the blanket out from under it and placed it back on the bed, then pulled out her excess hair out of the neckline.
She went to the refresher. The mirror was cracked and hazy with a layer of grime, a smeared handprint across it made it clear that the armored man was in fact, human.
Well that and that he'd just given her his cape to wear.
The pleated neckline of the cape kept her neck warm, the color matched her hair, creating a frame of blackness around her face. Definitely different than the delicate silk she normally wore.
She left the bathroom and returned to her seat behind Mando.
"You can get more clothing when we get there. Stock up on whatever else you need too." He paused. "Unless you like it there and decide you want to stay."
"I wouldn't mind going to at least a few other planets before deciding. Or however many my credits will get me."
He half faced her. "How many credits do you have?"
"About ten thousand New Republic."
Mando fiddled with a knob. "Is that a…normal rate?"
"To buy a wife from Canto Bight?" When he didn't acknowledge her humorous tone, she dropped her shoulders. "It's on the lower end."
"Keep them." He turned away.
Wait, what? He was just going to do it for free? That didn't seem very characteristic of a bounty hunter.
"Just don't get in the way."
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The ship shuttered and groaned as it landed on Nevarro. Mando gave the door a solid kick before it finally dropped down.
She gaged. What the hell was that smell?
"You'll get used to it," Mando said as he walked over to the mechanic's building.
Yeah, that was unlikely. It smelled worse than the year five Hutts came to the ball. This planet definitely wasn't what she had in mind for a home.
From the window of the ship it looked to be a barren waste land cut apart by rivers of lava. One of them flowed from the small city, seemed like it might be a liability.
Mando finished negotiating with the mechanic and placed a hand full of credits on the table. She followed him back out.
He briefly stopped. "You can meet me back here at fifteen hundred local time if you want to explore."
When he turned to leave, she stood there. Exploring the city was a good way to immediately get lost, or worse, into trouble.
It wasn't Canto Bight, it was a foreign place, completely different. Which were the good places? The bad places?
What even was the local time?
She hurried after him.
The streets were crowded with all walks of life. Most people talked lively while browsing vendors. Somewhere behind them a parent disciplined their child for skipping school. A few people even nodded in Mando's direction, while others gave a sideways glare.
Mando rounded a corner and entered a building. He didn't say anything when she caught up to him earlier, so following him into the building was probably okay if he didn't say no.
Inside sat a woman dressed in light armor. Judging by the size of her arms, she was a warrior. Though at the moment she was nodding off, feet up on the desk in front of her.
"Sleeping on the job?" Mando asked.
The woman shot up, but relaxed when her eyes landed on him. "Yeah well you try staying up all night dealing with a gang war." She stretched. "Long time no see by the way. Who's your little friend here, a bounty?"
"This is Atohra." He then gestured to the warrior woman. "And this is Cara Dune, the marshal."
"Nice to meet you," Atohra said.
Cara merely nodded at her, keeping her attention on the armored man. "You didn't answer my question."
"She was a target. I was offered extra to find her safe haven," he replied nonchalantly.
Well he wasn't lying.
Cara gave him a long look, clearly conveying something to Mando beyond the need for words. Analyzing the armored man was useless, the helmet was nothing more than a blank stare, gazing at whatever it pointed towards. Maybe the marshal could read him better, they acted like friends at the very least.
After what could have been minutes, he turned to Atohra. "Stay here for a bit. I have to meet someone."
With that, he left.
"He's helping you for free, isn't he?"
She faced Cara. "I did offer him all my credits."
Cara swept over her with her eyes. "Looks like you could use it to buy some clothes."
Atohra pinched the silk of her dress. "Yeah, I packed in a hurry."
"Come on, I'll show you around. I could use a walk and food anyway." Cara said and stood.
After a rather silent meal, they navigated the crowded market. Atohra nearly tripped on a pair of Jawas running past, some strange trinkets in their arms.
While people stepped aside to let Cara though, they had no problem bumping into Atohra. The pungent smell of the planet wasn't so bad here, masked by scents of strongly seasoned food.
A droid greeted them as they entered a small clothing shop. The entire room was filled to the brim with fabrics, some hung on walls and some piled on the floor in tall heaps. The droid busied itself folding the piles into something more presentable.
Cara stepped farther into the shop, shrugging. "Hey, it's cheap."
There were so many clothes, and she could choose any of them—pants, sleeves, boots—anything!
"It's great, thank you Marshal Dune," she replied and went straight for the nearest pile.
Not wanting to take up too much of Cara's time, she chose the first things that looked appealing. A black halter style top that would cover her torso, a beige robe that could be worn over it with a wide belt to keep it in place.
Next were baggy pants that could be tucked into a pair of light weight boots. As she placed the items on the counter, a pair of half sleeve fingerless gloves caught her eye. She bought them too.
Cara showed her to the changing room. Inside she carefully took off Mando's cape and placed it on the bench. Her silk dress easily slid off her shoulders into a pile at her feet. She put on the halter top, pants, and boots. The planet wasn't too cold, so there was no need for the robe. She slipped on the gloves that ended just above her elbows.
She picked up her dress, the robe and Mando's cape. Reaching to open the curtain, the cape slid off the pile of fabric in her arm. Just as it was about to land on the floor, she caught it with her free hand.
The last thing she needed was to get Mando's cape dirty. He'd done so much for her, it would be a slap in the face to wreck something of his due to carelessness.
She put it back on. Better safe than sorry.
"So," Cara said as the exited the shop, "Mando's cape, huh? How longs that been going on?"
Her tone suggested a lot more than her words did.
"Oh, his ship's heating is broken, that's all. I only met him yesterday."
Cara nodded slowly. "Huh."
They walked through the crowd, back towards the quieter sector.
"Speaking of Mando, I have a question."
Cara looked down at her with a raised brow.
"Does he ever take off his armor?" Her eyes met Cara's. "He was sleeping with his helmet still on and everything."
"No, never." She acknowledged a man walking past. "I've known him for a while now and the most I've seen is the back of his head. Showing his face goes against his code or religion or whatever."
"What religion is that?"
Cara frowned. "He's a Mandalorian. Did you not know that?"
"No." Atohra shook her head.
"Where are you from again?"
"Cantonica."
Cara stopped just short of the marshal building. "You're a Sulvarian Daughter, right?" She crossed her arms. "You would know all about extreme outdated traditions, then."
Atohra followed Cara into the building.
So he was from a planet of what—warriors? Did he have a choice then? To become a Mandalorian, or was he forced to? Wearing a helmet all the time must be exhausting. No peripheral vision, no fresh air, no freedom to express himself.
Speaking of which, Mando himself now sat at Cara's desk, hands folded together over his chest, reclined and possibly sleeping.
"Took you long enough," he commented, not moving.
So he was awake.
Cara half sat on her desk. "Did you talk to Karga?"
"Yes."
"And, I was right, wasn't I? No sign of Imperials."
He sat up. "This isn't over. Not yet."
"Gideon's in jail with only most trust worthy of the New Republic dealing with him. The kid's going to be fine."
The kid? What kid?
Mando only sighed. Cara opened her mouth to say something more, but he spoke first, helmet turning toward Atohra. "What do you think of Nevarro?"
Nervarro was…something. Not bad, but not good either. Not to mention, like Canto Bight, it was a lone city on an otherwise desolate planet. Confined. Trapped.
"I don't mind it, but I'd like to keep looking."
"Suit yourself."
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The mechanic was tightening up the last few bolts when they returned. "I replaced one of the hyperdrive engines, and fixed the other," he said. "Hard to find parts for these old models now days. Should be working at about fifty-seven percent. Probably not a good idea to go much faster, the ship would rattle itself apart." He began crawling down the ladder. "You should really consider upgrading. Even your Crest was better than this hunk of junk."
"It's fuel efficient," came Mando's terse reply.
The mechanic shook his head and walked back to the building. "Uh huh."
They boarded the ship. The mechanic must have done something to the ramp, because it opened the first time Mando pressed the button on his vambrace.
Inside, Atohra put her clothing on the bed and resumed her place in the cockpit behind the armored man.
The Mandalorian.
They must have been rare, not once has one ever popped up in Canto Bight before. Or perhaps they just weren't the gambling type.
Though if they were bounty hunters, the casino was probably teeming with crooks with money on their heads. Crime and gambling went hand in hand, at least on Cantonica.
Unless all Mandalorians weren't all bounty hunters.
The ship hummed to life and launched into the sky. It shook considerably less, most likely due to the fixed engines.
Soon enough, the planet was a rounded surface of gray below.
Mando made no mention of where he planned to go next. Cara had suggested a few she liked that she'd been to before, but Mando only nodded in acknowledgement.
Hopefully the trips would be shorter now that the hyperdrive worked, it was already getting colder in the ship.
Her eyes settled on the refection of the Mandalorian helmet that looked down at the controls. Judging by the amount of credits he spent on fixing the engines, he probably had to get more work before he was able to fix anything else. Too bad she didn't have skill in anything more than dancing. And according to him, even that was lacking.
Without warning, Mando spun around in his seat to face her "If you want to say something, just say it."
Atohra's back met the seat. His statement was a lot more direct than usual. Had she done something to annoy him?
His posture relaxed. "You're not on Cantonica. You don't have to follow all the strict rules you had before."
"I know that. Look what I'm wearing." She held up her arms to show the absence of silk. "Not to mention I didn't brush my hair today, nor apply any makeup."
"I meant the no talking one."
"I talk," she defended.
He folded his arms, leaning back. "When prompted."
Was he trying to trick her? "Well yes, because you are a man and I am a woman."
"That sounds a lot like a rule."
What was he talking about? Other than the rich women and the outcasts from off planet, no girl ever spoke first. "It's not a rule, it's just how it is."
"Not in the rest of the galaxy."
The galaxy was a big place. School had taught her that much. The Cantonica Sulvarian Women's School was known for its inclusive curriculum, and absolutely none of the planets she'd studied had women in any position of power. Not the Empire, not the Old or New Republic. None.
"Uh huh. Ill believe it when I see it."
He abruptly swiveled back towards the front. "We're going to Sorgan next. It's the complete opposite of Nevarro. Not much of a population. Peaceful."
He said the last part more quietly. He'd probably been there before, though it seemed like a strange place for a mercenary to go. Maybe for a vacation. Did he wear his armor there too?
"Marshal Dune told me you were a Mandalorian. What exact is that?"
He sighed.
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