"We're running low on fuel," Mando informed me. "Plus I think the ship has taken a fair bit of damage," I scanned the still flickering ceiling above me. Mando pressed some more buttons then turned to me. "I'll need to bring it to a repair shop." I nodded and the Mandalorian's head drifted down a little. "We don't have much cash." "Is there enough to fix the ship and get more fuel?" I asked. Mando sighed. "Barely. I'll have to find a job and earn some more money." "Is there anything I can do?" He shook his head. I thought for a brief moment, rubbing my thumb under my chin.
"Well I'll just stay with the ship then, I guess." "No," he shot that down in less than a second- impressive. But I grinned reassuringly. "Mando, it's fine. This craft has lock-down mode; it'll keep me safe so long as I stay inside." "The lock-down configuration is broken, and the ship has internal damage. You're not staying on here." "But what am I supposed to do? Go with you? No offense- to me- but I think I'd just be getting in the way. It makes more sense for me to stay put." "There are still hunters with tracking fobs out there. One found you on Sorgan of all places. It's not safe for you to stay by yourself anywhere." "I still got the blaster you gave me," I cooed. Ha, the look I'm sure Mando was shooting me from the other side of his helmet. The very idea made me inwardly burst out laughing.
Mando remained adamant, however. He flipped some switches and looked forward. "The answer is no. End of discussion." End of discussion, he says. I don't think so. My fingers twiddled as I too glanced out the window. "What am I going to do, then? You want me to go with you?" A moment of silence. "No," he sighed. "Then you're going to need to find someone to stay with me," a, heh, babysitter if you will. Mando didn't reply, which showed that he was contemplating the idea. I peered over at him through the corner of my eye. "You got anyone you can trust?"
The Mandalorian made me stay on the ship once we arrived back on Takodana. We came just to pick up an old acquaintance. "Kuiil!" I ran over to greet him excitedly when he and Mando came onboard together. "Nice to see you again, Saoirse. Though I'd be lying if I said I ever expected to see again," he took my extended hand waiting out for his. "I know," shutting my eyes, I chuckled softly. "And now Mando's come all this way just to fetch me so I can be with you. How strange the will of the universe unravels itself," he shook his head a tad. My eyes widened as I continued to stare at him. What did….. what did he just say? Does this mean he knows about the Force, then? Luckily, Mando didn't appear to hear this, instead loading Kuiil's things on desk and going to the driver's seat.
We flew to another planet called Tatooine; apparently there was someone who could fix our ship there. Once we landed in what essentially looked to be a junkyard, Mando opened the door and stepped off first. Kuiil and I were close behind. The place looked like a dump- though it's not like I've been to many, or any, repair shops in my life. We all blinked as these cute, little robots suddenly sprang up upon our arrival. I suppose they got too close, however, because out of nowhere Mando started shooting at them. I gasped appalled. I know he promised not to kill while I'm watching, and technically bots aren't living, but they were somebody's property. And all they did was come up to the ship with tools in their hands. They made a screaming-like noise and huddled back into the ground.
"Hey! Hey!" A woman's voice cut through the yard all of a sudden. We all looked to see this messy, yet kind-looking older lady emerge from the garage doorway. "You damage one of my droids, you'll pay for it," she waggled her clipboard at Mando angrily. "Just keep them away from her," Mando pointed my way. Me? My head turned to him in surprise. What issue does he have with droids being around me? "What? Your wife afraid of droids or something?" Kuiil looked at me, I blushed a tad, and Mando didn't say anything.
The mechanic came forward, paying attention to our ship now. "Let's look at your ship," she walked while giving it a scan over. The Mandalorian trailed her while Kuiil and I stood off to the side to quietly observe. She gave the side a good few pounds with her fist. "Ooh, look at that," she then held this weird, beeping thing up towards the exterior. "You got a lot of carbon scorin' building up top. Yeah… if I didn't know better, I'd think you were in a shootout," she gazed back at the Mandalorian. My fingers curled together but I didn't say anything. What she doesn't know won't kill her.
We watched as the mechanic went in for a closer inspection of the battle scars; she did not look impressed. Not at all. "Special tool for that one. Oh yeah, I'm gonna have to rotate that. You got a fuel leak! Look at that; this is a mess. How did you even land? That's gonna set you back," she finally came back over to us. Uh oh, I bit my bottom lip nervously. Mando said we don't have much money left; plus, Kuiil will need some compensation too. That's also excluding food and lodging…. Oh please, please don't be too expensive, I silently prayed.
"I've got five hundred Imperial Credits," Mando informed her. He held out the money and she glanced at it unswayed. "That's all you got?" She took the bag. The mechanic then proceeded to consider it for a moment, turning to her droids. "Well, what do you guys think?" Some bots motioned "yay" while others "nay". In the end, she relented. "That should at least cover the hanger." "And lodging for them," Mando pointed at us. I smiled at her while Kuiil didn't do anything. This was definitely a surprise for the poor woman.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Who said they could stay here?" "Just until my ship is done," Mando offered. "Does this look like a boarding house?" Her arms threw up at her sides. "I'll pay," the Mandalorian went on. "You darn right you'll pay. Who leaves their companions at a repair shop? You couldn't find an inn in town?" "No." She sighed, now exasperated. "This isn't going to be cheap, especially if I'm expected to provide food." "I'll get you your money," Mando stated flatly. "Hmmm, I've heard that before," her hand planted on her hip. "Just remember….." "Yeah, no droids. I heard ya; you don't have to say it twice. I'll keep them away from your wife by putting them to work on your ship instead," she cut Mando off.
Seemingly, or at least a little, satisfied with this, Mando stepped back over to us. "Stay here; I'm going out for a bit." "Alright," I said and Kuiil merely nodded. I waved as my protector left through the side door. Then I looked at Kuiil, then at the mechanic. She was glancing back at us with an unimpressed expression on her face. "Great. First I get landed with this big job which I probably won't get paid for, and now I'm running a bed-and-breakfast." I think it was the moment she spat this that I decided that I liked her. This woman had a kick to her; she seemed pretty entertaining to me.