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Sorgan, huh?

Athri had heard of it once before she went under.

If her memory serves, that planet had only a sparse 50 occupants and not a single landmark or city to show for it. How long was her imprisonment in carbonite? Long enough for Sorgan to be developed, otherwise they wouldn't be going there. Satisfied with her educated guess, she moves to her next order of business. Her stomach had been rumbling since she opened her eyes. Athri doesn't know how long ago she'd had her last meal, but her stomach told her it had been too long.

"Mando? I'm coming up!" She calls up the ladder, hoping the sound carries. Not being able to see really impedes her exploratory nature. She's pretty sure this is the way up to the bridge where the bounty hunter is. She feels her way up the ladder, careful not to miss a single step as she doesn't trust her reaction timing to save her. Even her balance feels off since she was let out of the carbonite, almost tumbling over when she sets her feet on solid metal. "Whoa. Hello, uh, Mando. I was just downstairs looking around at, well, nothing, and I was thinking... I could really go for some grub right now! Maybe it's because of the time I spent uh frozen, but I was really hoping you had food."

Silence meets her. Was he even there?

"Yeah, so I came to see you because, um," she draws out the word, feeling nervous at the lack of response. She can't observe any visual clues he might be giving. She fears that her blindness has cowed her, made her meek, even more than her years of abuse under the hand of her past captors. "Because you would know where the food is. And, uh, I'm really sorry for what I did to you earlier, so please feed me." Athri makes sure that her eyes are down and her stance submissive, not wanting to risk his ire. As mortifying as it is, Athri is currently unable to care for herself. She has no choice but to rely on this stranger and pray that he breaks the cycle of abuse she has suffered.

His chair squeaks as though turning around, followed by the sound of his heavy footsteps. Athri flinches back, fearful of retaliation. Alphas are quick to anger, in her experience, and slow to calm down. She may have already overstayed her welcome.

"If you think you could do anything to me without my consent, you're wrong. I'll get you grub when we touch down planetside." Soft leather touching her upper arm makes her jump, a whimper leaving her throat without her intention. She braced herself, but his other hand doesn't come down to strike her and he doesn't push her against the wall to have his way with her either. He simply tugs her along and gently pushes her down into a seat she can't see. She can feel him strapping her down, hear the soft clicks the belt makes as it latches. "I'll ask you again, why was there a bounty on your head?"

"I... I'm an omega." She almost doesn't understand. He scoffs as though saying "Duh." He must smell her, must know that her scent brands her as lesser than. No one of her caste can walk around freely, especially not while Imperial forces stalk the galaxy. She would be killed, or worse. "I am propety of the Empire. A slave. Are you... going to hand in my bounty?"

He laughs. "The Empire isn't in charge anymore, the New Republic is. There's no bounty to collect."

His own seatbelt clicks, singalling his return to his seat.

The Empire... Defeated? Am I free? It seems too good to be true, but then a cloud of emotion blankets her, it's essence frigid and depraved.

"I'm branded. Owned. If even one Imperial dog still lives, I'll never be free." His armor creaks, leather bending against itself when he turns to look at her.

"I understand what you mean. They never let go of anything." His armor creaks again. "Stop touching things."

"But, I'm not touching-" Athri is cut off by the sudden rumbling of the ship, grabbing the armrests to keep herself in place. It soon ends, and she hears what she thinks is a babbling baby.

"Neh," the sounds from Mando's direction don't stop, making Athri sure there is at least another person in the room with them. "Awh!"

She tries to jump out of her seat but can't, thanks to her safety belt. "Who is that?" She shouts, panicking internally at the unknown.

"He's just a baby, don't be irrational," he soothes, sounding like a stereotypical alpha.

"A baby? Are you his...?" She isn't sure what she was going to say. Thankfully she doesn't have to finish the question.

"No. He's a foundling." He toys with the dashbaoard, flicking open covers and pressing buttons that Athri can't see."We're landing. Hold on."

And she does, gripping the chair until her knuckles turn pinkish white. She loses her grip when the ship hits the soil. She's held in place only by the strap that crosses her chest and hips. Once stable, she undoes it and stretches her petite limbs.

"You're going to watch him while I'm gone." Into her hands, Mando thrusts a small, warm bundle. Its wrapped in burlap and its body is covered in peach fuzz. Wrinkles line its forehead and drool dribbles from the corner of its mouth. It wets her hand, making it feel cool as she feels out his features. He's a beta, judging from his smell. "Now listen, I'm just going to go out there and take a look around, shouldn't take too long."

"Gone?" She takes several steps in his his direction. "You can't just leave us here. A blind omega and a baby in the middle of nowhere with no protection? I can't even aim a blaster right-" Again, she cuts herself off. Mando pulls her back from whatever she was nearing, grunting in effort.

"Alright, you made your point. Clearly, you need someone to make sure you don't fall through a hole in the floor."

"Oh." Athri's face gets even more red than usual. "Thank you."

He leads her safely down the ladder and they depart, the child clinging to her collarbone and soaking up her scent. In return, she scents him and lets his vanilla chai fragrance pour in her nostrils, bringing her the peace of his presence. Already, she feels that she would die for this child. Whether or not it's because of her nature as an omega, she could care less.

It smells different, outside the ship, like green foliage and fresh soil. She hadn't been out in nature, or at least what she assumes is such, for a long time.

"Hey Mando?" Though he says nothing in reply, she knows he heard her. Athri keeps her knees high as she walks, not wanting to trip and fall on a root or some such obstacle. "What year is it? How long has it been since I was frozen in carbonite?"

"The year is 9ABY. You were encased in 7BBY. The difference is sixteen years."

"Sixteen!? I was..." She thinks on what memories have returned to her, and nowhere can she figure out what those acronyms mean. "What do those words mean? ABY and all that. I've never heard it.

"After and Before the Battle of Yavin. It was the last battle, the one that brought the Empire to heel."

"I... don't know what to say." Absorbed in her thoughts, she barely realizes she's falling until its too late. She curls around the child, thinking of his safety first. She wonders if its part of her omega instincts. She's stopped in freefall by an arm snaking along her waist. Snatching her close to his side, she feels her body pressed against cool steel plates.

The imprint of his armor gives her a sense of his width. Although he may not be particularly tall, he is a large man. His bulk overshadows her greatly, making her feel like a child in his arms. Her face warms with what she thinks is a blush.

"Thank you, again." His breath becomes heavy under his helmet, and she feels him hunch over her slightly. "Um, you can let me go now," she whispers, softly as though he's a wild animal.

"Right. Just hold on and don't trip." His hands fall away from her, just one of them sticking to her free hand, the one not holding the child, and grasping it in his larger one.

Dazedly, she falls in step with the alpha and follows his lead.


He doesn't know why he can't let her go. He holds her hand all the way to the town and into the tavern. Din only drops it once they've sat down safely. His eyes are locked on her moving the child into his own seat, pulling it close to her and putting her arm around him. Something deep in his chest yearned for this, the image of a pretty little omega caring for his offspring. It feels good to see her wrapped up in his cloak, spoonfeeding his child, all while smelling like him.

Din isn't blind. She was drop dead gorgeous, anyone would be lucky to have her warming their bed at night. But that isn't his life anymore, he's long past his prime and there's no way to bring it back. He's probably too old for her, and most women just aren't cut out for the life he lives. An omega tagging along with a bounty hunter sounds like the start of a dirty joke, not a true story. The logical part of his brain tells him its better to cut ties, but his alpha doesn't want to accept it. No matter what, he'll protect her, he'd already decided that.

Someone else has their eyes on her, too. An alpha. One buff female with dark hair and an arm tattoo eyed him and his companion. She screams "dangerous."

A curly-haired beta approached the table, but he raises his hackles regardless. He'd been tricked by all three secondary genders. Din isn't one to underestimate anybody, though all his senses are tuned into the dark-haired alpha in the darkest corner of the dining room.

"Welcome travellers. Can I interest you in anything?" She wipes her hands on her apron.

He doesn't intend on beating around the bush, so he moves it along without small talk. "Bone broth for the two of them."

"Oh, well you're in luck. I just took down a grinjer, so there's plenty. Can I interest you in a porringer of broth as well?"

"Just the two."

"Very well." She makes to turn around but before she takes a step, I ask her what's on my mind.

"That one over there." He nods to the corner where the dark-haired woman pretends to not notice him. "When did she arrive?"

"I've..." She shakes her head, trailing off. "I've seen her here the last week or so."

"What's her business here?" He shoots back.

"Business? Oh, well, there's not much business in Sorgan so I can't say..." He tosses a few tens of credits on the table. "She doesn't strike me as a logrunner. Well, thank you sir! I will get that broth to you as soon as possible and I'll throw in two flagons of spotchka for you adults, just for good measure. I will be right back with that."

When she moves, Din sees the other alpha's table is now empty. Making a beeline to the entrance, he flips another ten credits into the matron's hands. "Keep an eye on them."

His quarry isn't waiting outside for him, so he turns on his augmented vision. Her footprints stick out in red to him now. He traces her steps, but at a certain point they just stop. Thats how it seems, until he looks up.

The stocky alpha hangs from a horizontal iron bar. She gets the drop on him, literally, and kicks him with both feet. He's off-balance and unable to defend against her first punch, but he dodges her second. Her fist impacts the wood behind him, giving him the opening he needs to attack her side and push her off of him. She disrupts his grip on her collar and slips past him, making him stumble into the other wall. He hits her twice in the chin when she approaches. She responds with two heavy hits, but only one is on target. The other, he blocks and returns with a punch to her gut.

She turns the tables, though, grabbing his throat with such strength he thinks it may collapse, and then he hits the ground with the force of her next strike. He rolls over, ignighting his flamethrower, but she knocks it away and pins his arm with her foot. She grabs his throat again, strangling him. He needs to lessen the pressure, so he pulls her leg out from under her, rolling her over so he's on top. He reels back for a hook, but instead he's thrown over her head. They roll in the dirt before pulling their blasters simultaneously. They had reached an impasse.

'Slrrrp'

They both look at the noise, finding his two companions standing above them. The child grips Athri's cloak. pulling her along and revealing her exposed thigh. He hadn't realized how beat-up that flightsuit was when he handed it to her, forgetting all about the leg he cut off.

"Want some soup?" He offers the other alpha, hoping to calm tensions.


Unfortunately, there isn't enpugh room on this planet for his little gang of three. Cara Dune, the alpha shocktrooper, had made that obvious Though she was friendly enough and easy to get along with, she very clearly staked her claim.

It was a long walk back to the Razor Crest, even with two full bellied aiens following him. He'll eat later, when they're both asleep. Right now, Athri is cleaning up in the refresher. Din looks up at the many stars above, thinking back on how many he had crossed. The galaxy was a big place, but his world was small, just his ship and his companions. His world was one little green alien and now, a slightly bigger pink alien.

Enough. Back to work.

He returns to the task at hand, shining his headlamp back towards the ship's circuitboard. Running with a ship this old takes a lot of maintenance, and he spent most of the afternoon here while Athri kept the kid entertained.

He smells them from a mile away. Two betas, riding a droid-driven cart. Maybe they'll go away if I ignore them.

"Excuse me."

"Excuse me, sir?"

Din sighs, knowing they won't give up now. "Is there something I can help you with?" One is taller, though he slouches, with pale skin and long hair. The other, the one that called him sir, wears a blue cap and has darker skin.

"Uh, yeah!" The smaller one answers, coming around to Din's shoulder as Din continues working on the wing's circuit. "Raiders."

The taller one insists, "We have money."

Of course. They saw the armor and they know what it means. "So you think I'm some kind of mercenary?"

"You are a Mandalorian, right?"

"Or at least wearing Mandalorian armor." The little one does a double take, making sure his eyes didn't trick him. "That is Mandalorian armor, right?"

"It is."

"See? I told him." They're at Din's heels as he walks around the wing to the side closer to the door. "Sir, I've read a lot about your people- er, uh tribe. If half of what I've read is true-"

The tall one cuts off his partner and insists once more, "We have money."

"How much?" He doesn't turn to face them.

"It's everything we have, sir. Our whole harvest was stolen."

"Krill. We're krill farmers."

"We brew spotchka. Our whole village chipped in."

"It's not enough," Din says, finally separating from his maintenance job and walking over to the door panel.

"Are you sure? You don't even know what the job is."

"I know it's not enough. Good luck."

"This is everything we have. We'll get you more after the next harvest."

The cargo door starts to lower without him pressing the button, meaning its opening from the inside. The betas stumble back, Din standing calmly on the opposite side of the lowering ramp.

"Athri," Din says, concerned at her arrival. He eyes the strangers warily. All genders have problems holding themselves back around omegas. Cara had been able to tough it out in a public place with tens of other scents filling the space, but they're alone out here. "Get back on the ship." Having an omega around put him on edge, always waiting for someone to try and take her.

She rubs her eyes with the long sleeves of his oversized shirt. "Why? What's going on?"

The dark-skinned farmer starts to back away, sensing Din's discomfort. "Come on. Lets head back." Din rushes up the steps to be next to the blind damsel.

The pale one follows drearily. "Took us the whole day to get here," he complains, his expression sour. "Now we have to ride back with no protection, to the middle of nowhere."

Now that's promising. The middle of nowhere sure sounds like it's far enough away. Far enough to not bother Cara Dune if they stay on the planet.

"Where do you live?" His voice stops them in their tracks, both of them turning around to face him, confused.

"On a farm. Weren't you listening?" The tall one spreads his arms and shrugs like it's obvious. "We're farmers."

"In the middle of nowhere?"

"Yes?" The tall one, perplexed, looks between him and his partner.

"You have lodging?" He tries. "Enough space for three?"

"Y-yeah, absolutely."

"Alright then. Come up and help." While the men hurry up the ramp, he turns to the omega at his side. "Stay here. I'll get the child and lead you down to the cart."