Suggested Listening:
Library of Congress - Trevor Rabin (from National Treasure) | ...back to Tatooine

"Back to Tatooine?"

We had just hit hyperspeed again, and I was beginning to think I'd made a terrible error.

"I can't go back to Tatooine, that was the whole point of me leaving Tatooine."

"Don't worry," said the Mandalorian, spinning around in his chair. "It's just a quick pit stop, And we're not going to Mos Pelgo."

I leaned forward, bouncing one knee anxiously. Guilt twisted my stomach as I thought of Mos Pelgo — the saloon, Marfa's business, up in flames. Because of me.

"Okay," I said tensely. "And where are you going after Tatooine?"

He hesitated.

"It'll depend."

I stared at him.

"… Who are you?" I had been accepting of the dismissal during ride-along number one, but without the rush of the principal escape, the reality of the situation was settling in around me. He tilted his head forward, slightly.

"I'm a bounty hunter."

A chill went down my spine. I had let a brief moment of teamwork, the wide-eyed smile of the little green kid, and the tender thanks of a man seduce me into getting on board arguably the most dangerous type of ship I could be on — the ship of a bounty hunter. A mercenary. Rookie mistake, I thought to myself, bitterly.

I clenched my jaw, hoping I'd remained still enough to betray no reaction. I gave a light, airy nod to really sell it.

"And uh…" I pointed from him to the child, who was sleeping in his bassinet — he seemed to be completely tuckered out after the rancor incident. "What's this setup exactly? Is this your kid?"

He looked at the child, silently.

"Do you have big green ears under there?" I asked, with a wry smile.

"He is in my care," he replied, seriously. I nodded, slowly.

"So how exactly did he…" I held up a hand and mimed throwing a rancor telekinetically, adding a little whoosh noise for effect.

"I… I don't know," he admitted. "But its something he can do. He just gets so tired afterward…" he drifted off, concerned, and looked at the child again. I followed his gaze. The little creature was deep asleep, his tiny chest rising and falling with slow, peaceful breaths. One of his ears gave a gentle little waggle, like he was hearing something in a dream. I wondered how he came to be in this bounty hunter's care — I had met a few bounty hunters in my years on the run, at the bar and in transit, and many more in my days back with my clan, and none of them ever struck me as the family type. On the contrary…

"You tired?" His voice broke me out of my reverie. I looked at him questioningly. He continued. "You look tired."

Oh gee, thanks.

"Um, a little, I guess." The truth was, my body was aching from being thrown off of the rancor, it had been the most eventful day I'd had in a long time, and the idea of sleep was lustfully tempting. But I couldn't let my guard down. "If I need to sleep, I'll drift off here."

He nodded, and turned away from me in his chair. I stared again at the back of his helmet, my mind whirring. Something about him seemed trustworthy — safe, even — but who could say what he would do if he knew who I was… who I really was…

"It's simple, really…" A cruel voice muttered. "This man is a bad man — a naughty, evil, man — and what do we do to the bad men?"
"We punish them." A second voice, higher, younger… colder.
"No… no, please—" begged a third, through tears.
"Go ahead, darling," said the first, with a coaxing lilt. "Put the flame on his skin. It's alright, he deserves it."
"Please, no—" wept the victim's voice. "I did it, and I can give you more names—"
"Do it, darling. Go on."
"No, no, I can tell you—"
"Do it."
"Please—"
"DO IT. DO IT NOW."

"We're close to landing."

With a loud, thirsty gasp, I awoke, my body spasming in panic. Where am I?

I looked around, wildly, my heart hammering. Ship. I'm on a ship. There's a planet up ahead. The bounty hunter… staring at me…

As I got my bearings, I closed my eyes and leaned back in my seat. Kriff. I must have fallen asleep.

"Are you alright?" The Mandalorian asked. I looked at him, then over at the child, who was staring back at me with a look of amused confusion. He babbled a tinkling little laugh.

"I'm fine," I muttered, and rubbed my eyes. "Where are you going on Tatooine?"

"Mos Eisley," he answered. "Or close to it."

I raised my eyebrows. I had spent time in Mos Eisley when I first arrived on planet — A bit of a feral place to bring a kid. The Underworld… Mos Eisley… I'm sensing a pattern.

We zoomed down, landing in the constraints of a massive hangar, kicking up dust. In front if us, I saw different kinds of droids bustling back and forth. He opened the rear ramp and stood, placing a hand on the child's bassinet.

"I'll wait here, if you don't mind," I said, casually. He looked at me sharply.

"I can't leave you in my ship."

"Oh come on," I smiled, disarmingly. "I can't steal it, I don't know the first thing about driving a ship like this. You have my word."

He considered this for a moment, but then shook his head.

"I don't know you well enough to know the quality of your word."

My smile fell to a scowl. He opened the door and gestured to the ladder. After me, I guess.

As we descended the ramp, I held an arm over my head, shielding my eyes from the bright desert sun.

"Hey, Mando!" A cheery woman's voice exclaimed. "Everybody say hi to Mando, don't be rude!" A woman with dark, curly hair and a ruddy complexion emerged from the garage with open, outstretched arms. I had an immediate desire to avert my eyes and avoid interaction, but at the same time, I felt the corners of my mouth curling slightly in a small smile — this woman felt warm and kind.

"Oh," she said, spotting me. "And who's this?"

"This is Kyrani Moss," said the Mandalorian — or Mando, as I guess people call him. I looked at him, a little surprised he had remembered my full name. "We're giving her safe passage to her destination, but we had trouble with the Razor Crest."

"Peli Motto," she said, stepping forward to me with her hand outstretched. I shook it and nodded in greeting. "Any friend of Mando's… probably needs better taste." She shot me a jovial wink, then moved around us to examine the ship. "Yikes. What did you do?"

"It wasn't me," Mando said, and cast me what I could only guess was a pointed look. I chuckled at the faux accusation.

"You really shouldn't have been driving like this, the entire left flank is about to rattle off." She put her hands on the metal and shook it, loudly, to illustrate her point. "But we can fix it quick. HEY!" Several nearby droids snapped to attention. "Mando needs this wall fixed, hop to it!"

They obliged, and Peli walked back over to us.

"So," she said to Mando. "Did you find the other Mandalorian?"

My ears perked up. Insight. Finally.

"He wasn't Mandalorian," he replied. "I bought his armor. But I'm out of leads."

Peli moved closer to him, hooking her thumbs in her utility belt.

"No you're not. I have information you might find interesting. A Mandalorian covert is close. It's in this sector, one system trailing."

"Are they the ones that left Navarro?"

"Don't know. All I know is that the contact will lead you to them."

They were speaking at full volume in front of me, but I felt like it was privileged information. Privileged information that I was struggling to follow.

"How much will it cost me?" Mando asked.

"Well, that's the great news," Peli replied. "It's free! Aside from a finder's fee, of course."

I chuckled to myself.

"What's the not-great news?" Asked Mando, warily.

"Nothing. It's all great!"

"Okay."

"However —" she conceded. "There is one small skank in the scud pie."

"Which is?"

"The contact wants passage to the system."

He stared at her. I could feel mild annoyance radiating off of him.

"Do you vouch for them?"

"On my life," said Peli, honorably. Mando thought for a moment.

"Fine," he conceded.

"And…" Peli continued. "… no hyperdrive." Mando reacted in disbelief.

"You want me to travel sublight?" He shook his head. "Deal's off."

"It's one sector over!"

"Moving fast is the only thing keeping me safe."

"These are mitigating circumstances!" Peli tilted her head scoldingly towards Mando.

"What do you mean, 'mitigating'?" Replied Mando, matching her energy.

I thought I might actually have to break up a fight between them, when out of the shadow of the garage came a woman — a Frog woman, wrapped in cozy-looking travel-wear and carrying something on her back. She tilted her head, sheepishly. Mando sighed.

"I'm not a taxi service," he said, gruffly. Peli furrowed her brow and stuck an arm out, gesturing to me. I shrugged and nodded — she has a point. Mando's body language told me very quickly that he didn't appreciate my input on this exact matter.

"What's the cargo?" He asked through gritted teeth. Peli turned to the Frog Lady and made some sounds — it was a language I had never come across. The Frog Lady responded, and Peli translated that it was her eggs that needed fertilizing by the equinox, and that any jump into hyperspace would kill them.

"Her husband has settled on the estuary moon of Trask in the system of the gas giant Kol Iben," she finished.

"What a coincidence," said Mando, turning to me. "That's where you're going, too."