I'm so sorry for the long break, guys! This chapter is sort of the last chapter before we start getting more in the feels, but don't worry! This is still going to be a slow burn story! Expect another update in a few days!
✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧
I listened to the squelching sounds of his boots for as long as I could.
Resting a hand atop the little one's head, I tried to comfort the both of us by humming a sweet tune my mother used to hum to me. Sighing, I decided I would allow myself to remember for a moment.
Fond memories came rushing back, not unlike when water is too strong to allow a dam to stop it. I remembered long days full of smiles and song. The feel of rich fabrics against my fingertips as I stitched and cut in the lazy afternoon. My mother touching my cheek as I left every morning. I didn't want to remember the way that awful day transpired...
The screams, the smoke… white armored suits…
A tap against my palm brought me out of my daze.
Not realizing I had stopped humming, I continued the tune with a small smile at the child. It was looking up at me, its large eyes showing confusion as to why I had stopped.
"Sorry my star," I murmured. I glanced back up into the dark abyss, willing my eyes to catch even a glint of beskar. "He will be okay." The last bit escaped so quietly, I wondered who's mind I was really trying to ease.
The mid-day sun wasn't nearly as scorching hot as the worry within my chest. I had moved us further from the cave's entrance to a more shaded area. I noticed the little one's ears fluctuated as time dragged on and I came to consider it as a sign of distress.
Suddenly, sounds of rapid firing from a blaster deep inside the cave filled my ears. Alarmed, I hastily pulled the pod containing the little one back as I tried to distance us from the entrance I had watched Mando walk into.
A large, viscous roar caused me to flinch and I gasped as the Mandalorian was flung unceremoniously from the dark.
His armor clanked hard when he landed, his back sliding into the muddy surroundings.
"Mando!" I yelled.
Groaning, he slowly rose, but before he had even achieved a full sitting position, I felt my eyes almost fall out of my head at the sight before me. A huge, horned creature swayed out of the cave; its hostility directed at a certain Mandalorian.
"Oh my," I whispered. I felt my fingers make contact with Mando's blaster, my eyes darting between him and the beast. I couldn't decided which scenario was more worrisome.
The Mandalorian rose, pulling his large weapon from behind his back and aiming it at the horned creature. However, something must have gone wrong because he started fumbling around with the firearm as if it wasn't cooperating.
Another ear-splitting roar erupted throughout the air and I winced, catching a much better sight of the beast as it emerged from the shadows. The thing was covered in long, muddy hair. Its dull, lifeless eyes indicated it had grown accustomed to life in the dark and it sported a long, sharp horn from the top of its nose.
In the blink of an eye, it was charging Mando.
"Look out!" I shrieked, my voice cracking.
I felt air rush out of my lungs as the beast's long horn rammed into the Mandalorian, flinging him far into the air before crashing back down again. I briefly heard the child squeak in disapproval at the display, but I couldn't take my eyes from the armored man.
His long weapon had fallen far from his reach and I was beginning to think he was going to be seriously injured… or worse.
The creature gave a deep, guttural growl that sounded too close and caught my attention. It had turned its head towards the child and I. I braced one of my hands on the child's orb, trying to gauge what my next move would be.
It charged and it was Mando's turn to yell this time.
"Let go, I got the kid!"
Quickly letting go of the orb, it flung quickly to the right, forcing me to go left as the creature approached.
I fell into the mud as the beast slammed its head into the rocky wall that had been behind us. Seeing that the child was a safe distance from the creature and unharmed, I glanced at Mando. His head was already turned in my direction, his helmet splattered with mud from his falls.
The beast shook itself, once again targeting the Mandalorian as it rushed him. I watched helplessly as Mando was pinned down by its massive horn. He tried to stun it by blasting fire at it from one of his armored hands.
I ran to the little one, quickly shutting the lid to its orb and attempted to push it as far as I could from where Mando and the creature were fighting. Mando was now being dragged through the mud by a wire that led from his arm to a weapon lodged in the beast and I gave the orb one last final shove.
I slipped in the mud, my knee hitting the ground hard.
Horror became my dominant emotion as once again Mando was flung into the air and onto his back, ironically close to where I had pushed the child. His landing must have activated a button on his arm because the child was no longer hidden beneath the lid of the orb.
When he didn't get up right away, I began to feel my panic overwhelm me. Seeing a spark of electricity from his armored chest seemed to shock me into action.
Pulling his blaster from out of my belt loop, I stood on shaky legs, my right knee throbbing. I kept my eyes on the hideous monster as I distanced myself from my two companions, faintly aware Mando had managed to rise to his knees.
Stealing one more glance at the Mandalorian, I saw he had weakly pulled out a blade, holding it out in front of him in a final attempt as the monster once again charged.
"Hey!" I screamed. "Hey, ugly hairball!" I began to shoot my blaster at the ugly creature and without stopping its charge, it directed its momentum toward me.
Gritting my teeth against the pain I would inevitably feel in a matter of seconds, I thought I imagined Mando calling my name for the first time.
But then… the creature stopped?
Was I already dead? Surely it hadn't been that painless, had it? However, my jaw fell open as I observed the beast levitate.
"What…" The word tumbled from my lips as I stared in awe. I briefly looked to the weapon in my hands, wondering if Mando had given me something other than a normal blaster. Mando shakily got to his feet across from me, his arms falling limply to his sides as we both witnessed something other worldly.
Looking to the Mandalorian, I noticed something else had caught his attention. Following the direction in which he was viewing, I was stunned to see it was the child orchestrating this.
Its tiny green hand was out of its pod, pointing at the creature with its eyes closed in apparent concentration. It seemed to be struggling to focus.
Speechless, I couldn't take my eyes off the child as the Mandalorian took his chance. He walked towards the monster still in the air, his knife gripped tightly in his hand.
I felt my tears prick as the gravity of what had just happened occurred to me.
The child had saved us. It had save me.
The poor thing shuddered, its hand dropping back down into the pod before seemingly passing out. Another roar from the creature brought my attention back to the Mandalorian and I viewed in satisfaction as he stabbed the beast in one deadly blow.
My feet anchored, my eyes stayed glued to the Mandalorian. He sluggishly retrieved his weapon from the animal and slowly turned to look back at me and the child.
His muddy and broken armor only highlighted how we both could have been lunch meat right about now.
He started to limp over towards the kid, his cape dragging heavily behind him and I followed, nearly slipping in the mud again. As we both reached the kid, I stepped forward to hug his armor as tightly as I could. I felt a tear escape before I could get a hold of myself.
He stood there, apparently accepting my hug as his arms hung as his sides. After a moment, he made a noise in his throat, placing his hands on my shoulders and gently pushed me back.
"You okay?" he asked.
Nodding, I swallowed hard. "I think so." My voice was so fragile in the now still air.
Together, we turned to look at the child. Mando let go of my shoulders.
I gently ran a hand down the side of the little one's face.
"I think… I think it's passed out," I said worriedly.
The Mandalorian continued to stare down at the little one, his armor sparking with electricity from broken wires.
"What just happened?" I asked.
Shaking his head slowly, his head didn't once raise from the child as he spoke. "I'm not sure."
We stood there for what felt like eternity, just trying to comprehend, before the Mandalorian began walking back towards the cave.
"I'm going to get what we came for," he said over his shoulder.
Frowning, I leaned over to pick the little one up in my arms, tucking it within the crook of my elbow. I held it gently to me, running my hand across its forehead and ears.
"Thank you, little one," I whispered.
Looking at the beast laying in the mud, I scowled before turning to wait for the armored man.
He emerged with a hairy round object absolutely drenched in filth. Raising an eyebrow of disgust at it, he just shook his head at me.
"The egg," he said bluntly.
Nodding, I pulled the child tighter to me. "We should start heading back. Kuiil must be getting anxious."
"Kuiil?" he asked with a tilt of his head.
"The Ugnaught," I explained, smiling.
If he was impressed or insulted that I knew his name before he did, he didn't say anything. What I would give to see his expressions during moments like this.
Picking up his malfunctioning weapon to sling across his back, he began walking back in the direction we came and I followed, all the while carrying the little one.
I stared at Mando's back and felt a sudden sense of déjà vu, having followed him in silence for most the time I've known him.
"So, this egg will get your parts back?" I asked.
"Yes."
Sighing quietly, I snuggled the kid more comfortbaly against me before picking up my pace to walk alongside him.
His helmeted head turned my way for a moment, but he didn't falter in his fast paced steps.
I couldn't stop my next question from being vocalized.
"What now, Mandalorian?"
I felt like there was no need to elaborate, given all this was done to get his parts back so that he could leave on his ship.
"Now I'll have to leave with…" he trailed off, his gloved hands tightening around the hairy egg he held. He let air out, through his mouth or nose – I wasn't sure – before finishing his sentence. "With what I came for."
My hands clutched the sleeping kid tighter of their own volition. I knew who he was referring to.
It didn't take long at all before we were ascending a hill and saw Kuiil waiting for us. Waving his arms in the air, he yelled each of our names, relieved to see we made it.
The ramp leading up to the Jawa's fortress was nearly closed, but once they saw us returning, they lowered the ramp and began chittering excitedly.
"What nasty rodents," I hissed.
Mando turned to me, a rough chuckle escaping him. "Not exactly the words I would use, but glad to see we're thinking the same."
I couldn't help the smile that broke across my face. I hadn't heard him chuckle or laugh once before now. I thought back to my epiphany earlier in the fortress. "You're a good person, Mando. I know the bounty hunter life isn't an easy feat, but I can tell a good soul from a bad one every once in a while." Pausing, I added, "Thank you."
He stopped walking. I slowed down too, curious as to why he had chosen those words to stop to.
"You almost got yourself killed with what you did back there," he said bluntly. "You shouldn't have done what you did, it was stupid. But... you bought the little one some time to save us both."
I tilted my head at him, Mando style.
He began walking again but continued to speak quietly. "You have nothing to thank me for. I should be thanking you."
The shrieks of excitement from the Jawas reached us as we approached them on the ramp.
"Nonsense," I said.
Mando turned from me and held out his prize.
"I got the egg," Mando said.
I noticed Kuiil curiously looking at me holding the unconscious child, but I just shrugged and shook my head.
Looking back at Mando, I saw him deliver the hairy egg to the group of Jawas. Excitedly, they began chanting their word for egg over and over before one sliced the top of it off with a large knife.
My face scrunched in obvious revulsion as one stuck its hand in and pulled out a handful of bright yellow goo before shoving it in its dark face and eating it. All at once, dozens of hands were being shoved in the egg to scoop out the gooey yolk and I cringed beside Mando.
"Nice to see we risked our lives for a gross snack," I muttered.
Mando just shook his head in annoyance before moving to stand by Kuiil.
"I'm surprised you waited," the Mandalorian said to our pink friend.
"I'm surprised you took so long," he quipped back.
I smiled at the exchange.
"Now let's go get your parts."
Setting the little one back down in the orb, I ran a hand down its cheek. "Wake up soon, my star," I whispered. I was briefly aware of a certain metal helmet looking my way, but I ignored it for now. I was more worried about our little savior.
We eventually boarded the Jawa's fortress once again and were driven back to where Kuill's carrier and fish-like creature had been waiting for us. Most of the ride was quiet between the three of us, but I did notice how Mando didn't leave like he had before. Upon arriving, we quickly loaded the pieces of Mando's metal scraps back onto Kuiil's transporter.
The Jawa's muttered unhappily but one look at Mando reaching for his weapon stopped all the fuss.
As we were about to begin our journey back, Kuill motioned for me to come to his side.
"What happened back there?" he asked.
"I'm not sure," I replied. I looked to Mando as he finished placing the last piece of his ship back on the carrier. "I think the Mandalorian is just as confused."
Kuill nodded absently. "Yes." He seemed to think for a moment. "But with his parts, now he will leave."
Never taking my eyes from the Mandalorian, I frowned.
"Yes. Now he will leave."