Desperate Times - Part 1

They needed money. And that would be a consistent problem for a while. For right this second though, they needed to survive being blasted out of the sky.

Another bounty hunter caught up with them.

Din would never say it out loud to a single soul, but he was aware that his ship wasn't the fastest or the most agile one in the galaxy. The hunter chasing them was relentless, and Din was having to pull every trick he knew to duck and dodge.

This wasn't intent to kill, otherwise they'd be dead already. This was intent to collect.

"Hand over the child, Mando."

Din glared viciously at the comms for a split second before focusing on the controls again. Over his dead body.

This particular bounty hunter wanted the Child alive, though it didn't seem to matter much to the Empire at this point. That said, Din was probably not part of that equation. Actually, Din really didn't know whether the guild wanted him alive or dead. There was a time when that mattered, where his entire income hinged on the pucks that Greef provided. But now?

They could all rot.

"I might let you live."

A few blasts against the ship's exterior were enough to have Din glancing back at the Child. He stayed planted in the crate, claws dug firmly around the edge. He squeaked in surprise a few times as the ship was pummeled, but made no other sounds. It allowed Din to focus better, but even that wasn't enough.

A deafening blast hit one of the engines. Alarms that were already blaring rose in volume. The ship lurched heavily as it struggled to balance itself. This was bad, but Din refused to let that distract him. His hands were a blur as they moved over the console.

Gripping both controls, Din yanked back and twisted. "Hold on," he said, sending them into a barrel roll, and then a dive.

The bounty hunter kept up, as expected. The Razor Crest was moving slower and slower, but Din wasn't done with this guy yet.

What his ship lacked in speed, it made up for with tenacity and durability.

"I can bring you in warm. Or I can bring you in cold."

There was a screen on the control panel that specifically kept track of an enemy's location. It only took another moment for Din to lock on. He pulled back on the controls again, this time even quicker.

He looked up, and saw the bounty hunter flying right overhead at breakneck speed, until they were suddenly far ahead.

Din locked on again. "That's my line," he said. And he opened fire.

In a single blast, the bounty hunter and his ship were destroyed.

With the battle won, he now needed to take stock of the damage. His hands were still on the controls, but he let the Razor Crest drift along. He swiftly glanced over every screen in front of him. The alarm in the cockpit still blared.

"Losing fuel," he noted gravely.

The ship suddenly powered down completely, and Din knew that meant they'd be running on fumes for a while. At least he had a few fail-safes he could activate in the meantime.

He whipped his head around when he heard laughter coming from the passenger seat. The Child was looking around the cockpit, a bit dazed, but otherwise alright. And not in the hands of some heartless bounty hunter. That was the only accomplishment so far.

There was a planet just up ahead. It was Tatooine, with Mos Eisley being the closest spaceport to land in. Desperate times, Din decided. What remained of the fuel was currently being spewed out into space. They didn't have much of another choice.

He locked on to Hangar 3-5 and drifted through Tatooine's atmosphere as steadily as possible. As the spaceport came into view, he heard the Child murmur tiredly, and looked back at him. His chin was resting on the edge of the crate, and his eyes drooped heavily.

Din nearly chuckled in disbelief, not knowing how the kid wasn't wide awake after such an ordeal. But he didn't question it. "Get some rest," he urged. "Danger's over."

The Child glanced at him when he heard his voice, and then his eyes closed completely.

Din put his attention back on the planet, and let out a long exhale. This allowed the remaining adrenaline to roll off of him, but he still had a mental list of things he needed to address.

Just landing in the hangar would probably cost him money. Not to mention the repairs, and time and labor. He was still dreading having to even land there. Mos Eisley wasn't the most honorable port in the galaxy, which meant it was a perfect place for Din to find work. Unfortunately, it could spell danger for a child with a bounty on his head.

Din took another steadying breath, not liking any of this one little bit. All of those points were opposing factors, but none could be avoided. He had juggled worse, so he decided to take it one step at a time, and prioritized.

First and foremost, the Child. There was no way in hell Din was going to let him wander around this particular spaceport. He would have to stay in the ship no matter what. For the time being, that shouldn't be a problem. He was currently asleep. Din could let him rest here, and he would come back often to check in on him. It wasn't perfect, but he saw no other choice.

Next was the damage to the ship. And then the cost of the repairs.

After that was assessed, he would leave for a bit. He couldn't imagine not being able to find bounty targets here.

The hangar came into view, and he maneuvered his ship inside. As soon as the landing skids touched the ground, he powered down as much of the ship as possible. He made sure to leave on some of the essentials, like certain controls in order to operate the cockpit at a moment's notice, a few lights, and the air circulator for the Child's sake.

He got up from the pilot's seat and went over to the crate. Fast asleep, the Child's chin was still resting on the edge of it, making him slump forward. Scowling slightly at how uncomfortable that looked, Din wrapped the blue blanket around him, picked him up, and carefully stepped down into the hull.

He stopped in front of the sleeping quarters, and placed the Child down at the foot of the bunk. There was a sleepy murmur, but he didn't awaken. Din closed the hatch. He thought about turning off the inside light, but decided against it, not wanting to leave him in total darkness.

Normally, the Child slept in the crate, but Din wanted him to be someplace more secure right now. The last thing Din needed was for him to run around unsupervised, and he had yet to figure out how to operate the hatch from the inside. Din knew it was only a matter of time, with how clever he was, but at least it wasn't right now.

Din waited for the main entrance of the ship to open, ready to go about his tasks, with more reluctance that he realized.

He didn't like leaving the Child alone, just as much as he didn't like locking him away, no matter how kind he was about it. As evidenced by the settlement, the Child had clearly seen enough of all that. However, this was for his own good.

Din had to keep telling himself that.

He was already in a foul mood, growing fouler by the minute, and the sight of some pesky pit droids didn't lift his spirits in the slightest. At least the mechanic seemed competent enough. She diagnosed the problems with his ship within moments of arriving.

He offered her what remained of his money. And it was nowhere near enough.

For the first time in many weeks, Din went looking for bounty work.

The Child wriggled, feeling something soft and familiar swaddled around him. He was comfortable, and could easily fall back asleep, but couldn't for some reason. With a fussy whine, he crushed the edge of the blanket against his closed eyes.

He knew without looking that he wasn't in the crate anymore, given that the tips of his ears weren't brushing against metal walls. And he could feel the cushioned surface of the bunk against his back.

He opened his eyes and stared up at the ceiling of the sleeping quarters. He wondered why he was in here, but he didn't necessarily mind. The light was dim, but cozy. The air was never stuffy or stale. The man sometimes put him in here for sleep, if for some reason the crate wasn't an option at the time.

The Child rolled over and curled up on his side, his claws worrying the blanket while also trying not to poke a hole in it. He didn't mind being in here, possibly because the man never put him in here out of annoyance or frustration. He understood that this was a place for resting, and not a place to be locked away.

He closed his eyes, tuning his senses into the ship. His ears swiveled a little, hoping to hear the usual background noises. He wondered why the engine wasn't humming. Were they not in flight anymore? That must mean they'd landed.

He opened his eyes again, and tilted his head. Everything was so quiet, other than for some chattering outside, but it didn't sound like the man's voice. Actually, now that he thought about it… There were no silent boots against the floor, in any part of the ship.

The Child sat up, a confused mutter escaping him. Taking a swift glance around, he wondered how to get out of the sleeping quarters. Further up the bunk, by the headboard, were some pretty lights. Upon closer inspection, he saw that it was a panel of buttons, similar to other panels around the ship, except he could reach these ones.

He pushed his claws against a few of them, waiting for them to do something. A loud swish was heard, and he saw that the hatch was now open.

He shimmied off the edge of the bunk, landing on the cold floor of the hull. He looked around, ears swiveling again, but he knew he was alone. Still, he had to be certain. He called out, a wordless question. And his voice echoed against the walls.

He huffed silently, and his ears drooped. He truly was alone, and he wondered why.

He saw that the main entrance of the ship was open, allowing a dusty draft to waft in. Wherever they had landed, it was hot and dry, but the ship stayed cool. The voices he had heard were still talking. They didn't sound threatening, and perhaps they could help him. On his way out the door, he shook his head a little, still feeling groggy from his nap.

Outside, there was a woman at the bottom of the ramp. She held a large blaster in her hands, and was standing at the ready. There were a few small droids flanking her, their joints bent, almost cowering.

The Child was even more confused now, because he sensed no danger from anywhere. He paused for a moment, but continued walking when the woman lowered the weapon into the scrawny arms of one of the droids.

He stopped at the bottom of the ramp to observe. The woman had her hands out, palms facing towards him, a look of confused apprehension on her face. Seeking the opportunity, the Child copied her, raising his arms and waiting patiently.

The woman took a few steps forward. "Now, now," she muttered, and slowly picked him up. "Let…Peli take a good look at you." She muttered a few more things, and kept glancing around. After a few seconds, she sighed and turned her full attention to the Child. "Did that bounty hunter leave you all alone in that big nasty ship?"

One of the droids chattered at her.

"Oh, how do I know what it is," Peli responded to whatever it said. "Gimme a second. Alright," she said to the Child. "Would you like some food? Are you hungry?"

The Child tilted his head and cooed at the mention of food. He wasn't necessarily starving, the man always making sure that he never was. During all their travels, he often got to try food he'd never had before, and he found that to be fun. Food was always a good thing.

Peli argued with one of the droids again. The Child babbled a little louder and impatiently, hoping she would bring up food again. Not only that, but she also helped solved a problem he was having.

"Shh," she said calmly to him. "Now, here's the plan. I am going to look after you, until the Mandalorian gets back, and then…I'm gonna charge him extra for watching you." She said all this with a clever smile on her face, and she swiped a bit of dusty sand away from his ears and forehead.

He didn't doubt that the man would be back, but it was still nice to hear it confirmed all the same. It wasn't often that he left him alone. Even on Sorgan, the man was almost always around.

The Child didn't fully realize it until then, but he missed him, and he hoped he would be back soon.

Being coerced into a risky hunt by a total novice was not what Din was hoping for, but it was a fair tradeoff. Should things go well, that is. He never liked partnering up with anyone. At least there was time to prepare. He also needed to give the mechanic an update, and check on the Child. While there technically was no need to rush, he still had to be relatively quick with all of this. He had told the other hunter to be ready in half an hour.

He entered his ship, and glanced at the hatch to the sleeping quarters. He wanted to assume that the Child would still be asleep. But to his horror, the hatch was open, and the blanket lay discarded.

He stared at the empty space for a full second, before spinning around and running outside. He had left the main entrance of the ship open, as was customary in order for mechanics to do their jobs efficiently. But now he was cursing himself in every language he knew. What the hell was he thinking leaving that door wide open?!

Where the hell was the mechanic? She would probably be the first to see where he went.

"Hey," he shouted for her as he ran down the ramp. His tone had a snarl to it, and he didn't give a damn how aggressive he sounded. He would decide whether or not to apologize after he found the Child.

There was a startled gasp from a nearby office, followed by the mechanic shouting that she was awake.

One of the pit droids approached Din, which only served to make him angrier. "Where is he," he demanded, causing the droid to shrink down fearfully.

"Quiet," Peli scolded Din, and he snapped his harsh gaze towards her. She exited her office, carrying the Child. She was bouncing him slightly, trying to soothe him as he whined crankily. "Oh, shh, it's okay." She then waved disapprovingly at Din. "You woke it up. Do you have any idea how long it took me to get it to sleep?"

Din's voice dropped, and he pointed to the Child. "Give him to me," he said, a clear warning. Although, he did feel some of the anxiety lift. He was still reeling a little, but at least the Child hadn't gone far and was alright.

Upon hearing the demand, Peli approached him, but turned stubbornly away. "Not so fast." She was looking at him in disbelief, and disapproval. She gestured in the direction of the ship. "You can't just leave a child all alone like that." She paused. "You know. You have an awful lot to learn about raising a young one."

As she spoke, Din didn't interrupt her or snatch the Child away, though the urge was most certainly there. Instead, he listened to her words. Not only because there was no threat here, but because she wasn't wrong at all. On top of it all, while he was at the local cantina looking for work, she was the one that looked after the Child in his absence. She was the one who kept him from wandering off. He was safe because of her.

And so, Din said nothing, not knowing how to respond. It was rare that someone gave him a tongue-lashing, and even rarer that he wasn't offended.

She changed the subject to the repair status of the Razor Crest. As she informed him of how much longer it could take, he grabbed a supply bag from the hull of the ship, ready to meet the other bounty hunter right outside the hangar.

"…But I figured you were good for the money," Peli concluded. "Since you have an extra mouth to feed."

Din looked down at the Child, who looked up at him and cooed with a bright smile. He now felt a little better about leaving, knowing that the Child was in good hands.

He looked at Peli, and said, "Thank you." And he hoped that his tone conveyed just how grateful he was.

With or without beskar, getting shot hurt, plain and simple. Especially getting shot multiple times in less than two days. His armor protected him as always, but it was still downright irritating. The hunter he was with had been a damned fool for thinking he could take on Fennec. And yet they pursued her. Calican was clearly prideful, and enjoyed the thrill of the hunt.

Din also did…when he was that young. In recent years, he hunted for income, to stay sharp, and for the occasional challenge. However, going up against an assassin of Fennec's caliber was almost not worth it. That said, he was also opportunistic. If they were already out in the sweltering dessert, he might as well get something out of it. He couldn't leave Mos Eisley without paying the mechanic anyway.

When they finally had Fennec in cuffs, they realized they somehow needed to transport her back to collect the money, and they were down one vehicle. In the end, Din was the one to go look for a solution, leaving Calican to keep an eye on Fennec. And that was where problems immediately started. Actually, no. That wasn't completely true.

The problems had started at the cantina, when Din had first agreed to do this job.

Much later, Din would find Fennec's body, lying in the sand with a blaster wound to a vital. Calican was nowhere to be seen. Though he clearly wasn't collecting a bounty today, Din had hoped that some of his troubles were over. No assassin to deal with anymore. And no irritating novice.

He made the long trek back to Mos Eisley, with nothing to show. With bounty hunting, there were decent days, and not so decent days. There would always be other targets.

Now, he needed to see how the Child was doing, and hopefully negotiate something with the mechanic. He might even run in to Calican as he went past the cantina. He still didn't know why he shot Fennec. Perhaps it was due to some sort of immature frustration. Only, none of that really made sense given how desperate Calican had been to get into the guild. As it turned out, he was still desperate.

So much so, that he was willing to take on a Mandalorian.

Calican stepped out of the Razor Crest, pointing the barrel of his blaster at Peli's back.

In one of his arms was the Child.

The Child made no noise and was absolutely still. Perhaps this was a good thing. If Din heard him cry out in any way, utter any type of distress, he was sure something inside him might snap.

Even if Peli had been the one supervising him, the Child was still his responsibility. He should've done something to prevent all of this.

Then, there was a cooing noise. It was small, and almost silent. Calican and Peli hadn't heard it, but Din had, and it took all he had to remain stoic and listen to Calican's demands. As ordered, he threw his blaster away, and placed his hands compliantly over his helmet. He did these things slowly, trying to buy himself some time in order to come up with a plan. A moment later, Peli was shoved forward and ordered to cuff him.

The Child whined again, and Calican glanced down at him. With a look of complete apathy.

Din's breathing was shaky as he struggled to calm himself. Calican's death would be swift. He just needed to find his opening.

As Peli came up behind him with the cuffs, Calican monologued. Unfortunately, every word out of his mouth made sense. But it gave Din those extra few seconds to come up with a halfway decent plan. With a bit of sleight of hand, he brought out a flash charge, and held it behind his head for Peli to see.

The moment she saw this, she ducked out of the way, and he triggered it.

Blinding light flooded all around them. Calican randomly fired his blaster at the spot where Din and Peli had been, but by the time he could actually see, Din was coming up to the side of the ship. With his blaster in hand again, and with the Child out of line of fire, Din pulled the trigger.

At close range, it was enough force to kill Calican, and send him flying off the ramp.

The Child had still been in his grasp, and had disappeared after tumbling to the ground. Rapidly, Din and Peli looked around for him. After a few anxious moments, babbling met their ears, causing Din to exhale silently.

The Child had hidden himself behind some ship parts, and stared up at them curiously. He was standing, and walking, and was okay. It was yet another situation where he should be shaken or traumatized, but he didn't seem fearful in the slightest.

Peli fussed over the Child, and Din let her. He looted Calican's body, and found something that might be of use. When that was done, he joined Peli.

She looked sternly at Din. "Be careful with him."

Gently, Din took the Child from her, and rested him securely in one of his arms. The Child looked up at him, blinking slowly. There were no injuries, it seemed, much to Din's relief.

He had no idea how Calican knew about his issues with the guild, or the bounty on the Child's head. Perhaps if the Child had stayed put on the Razor Crest? Calican did, after all, see him briefly before they set off into the desert. Not like any of that mattered now. Calican wouldn't threaten them ever again. Other bounty hunters would, though, and they needed to leave before any caught up with them.

Peli shrugged exaggeratedly. "So, I…take it you didn't get paid." She looked away and sighed.

Din took out the pouch of money that he found on Calican's body, and dumped its entire contents in Peli's palm. "That cover me," he asked. It was a genuine question. He had no idea what his total was by now.

It seemed to be enough, because she nodded slightly in shock, and tried to treat it like it was no big deal. "Yeah. Yeah, this is gonna cover you."

As he carried the Child into the ship, he heard Peli command her droids to drag Calican's body somewhere.

Once the Razor Crest was in flight, he set it to autopilot them away from Tatooine. No general direction, and in no hurry. Just anywhere but the near vicinity. Din was sitting in the pilot's seat, staring at the maps and radars, hoping to make up his mind and land them somewhere. His helmet was off, and he was eating dinner.

He still had very little money left, having spent most of it on the mechanic's hard work. The ship was running fine, although some things were not at full capacity. That was his fault, not Peli's. He didn't have enough credits to pay her for a full repair.

Repairs, fuel, necessities. And no support from any guild. It was now a bigger problem than Din cared to admit.

He quickly ate the last few bites of his meal, put his helmet back on, and descended into the hull. At this time of night, he often put the crate next to his sleeping quarters. Not only so that the Child was close by as he slept, but also so he could go up into the cockpit to eat something in peace. It was a slightly tedious process, and Din hoped he could find a better solution, someday.

The Child was curled up in his blanket. Din looked down at him, and did a quick scan with his eyes, just to reassure himself that the Child truly was alright. He was sleeping soundly.

Din took a breath. Today was a close one, but he handled it. There were bound to be more close calls, and he would deal with them as they happened.

He opened the hatch.

The door was always loud, but this time it was loud enough to instantly wake the Child. He murmured questioningly, and looked up at Din. For some reason, his ears were back slightly, and there was a troubled crease between his eyes. He glanced at the foot of the bunk.

Din tilted his head. "Everything alright?"

The Child grumbled a little. Another moment later, after deliberating over something, he seemed to relax. He settled down, tucked his blanket closer, and fell back asleep. Din shook his head slightly, unsure what that was about. Perhaps it had something to do with today's events. The Child certainly wasn't emotionless, but he also clearly didn't dwell on things. Din once again noted his resilient attitude.

"Night, kid," he muttered. He climbed into his bunk, closed the hatch, and removed his helmet again, ready for some rest.