𝐑𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐒 ── ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴀɴᴅᴀʟᴏʀɪᴀɴ ✓

1.9.

NINETEEN.
the suspicious gunslinger

🔹️🔹️🔹️

As we walked into the nearest cantina next to Mos Eisley Tower, the indistinct chattering inside grew louder. I looked around the cantina and recognized the place. I came here once, a long time ago, but it still looked the same. The creatures were talking amongst themselves as Mando and I trudged up to a counter with a droid behind it.

"Hey, droid. We're hunters." Mando said, placing his forearms on the counter. I gave him a strange look, raising an eyebrow.

".. 'We'?"

"Just go along with it." He whispered over to me, turning to face the droid again. "We're looking for some work."

"Unfortunately, the Bounty Guild no longer operates from Tatooine." The droid replied, cleaning the counter with a cloth in his hand

I sighed, leaning against the table. "We're not looking for Guild work."

"I am afraid that does not improve your situation, at least by my calculation." The droid responded, causing Mando to curl his hands into fists.

"Think again, tin can." We heard a man say, his voice coming from behind us. We turned around, facing the man that had just made that remark. "If you're looking for work, have a seat, my friends."

I rolled my eyes, shifting over to look at Mando with a displeased expression on my face. He glanced at me before looking back at the suspicious man as he spoke.

"Name's Toro, Toro Calican. Come on, relax." Toro said, gesturing for us to sit down. We both hesitated before walking over and sitting down in front of him. He smirked, keeping his eyes on me and taking his feet off the table. "And what's your name, sweetheart?"

"Call me Adalyn." I replied, stopping myself from rolling my eyes. "Look, we're not here to play games--"

"I know, I know." He gave me a sly smile, placing a bounty puck on the table. "Picked up this bounty puck before I left the Mid Rim. Fennec Shand, an assassin. Heard she's been on the run ever since the New Republic put all her employers in lockdown."

'New Republic..' I thought to myself, leaning my chin against the palm of my hand.

Mando nodded, "I know the name."

"I followed this tracking fob here." Toro continued, taking out a tracking fob and showing it to us. "Now the positional data suggests she's headed out beyond the Dune sea -- should be an easy job."

".. Well, good luck with that." I said, standing up and walking out of the booth. Mando stared at me before following my actions.

"Wait, wait, wait, hey." Toro stumbled on his words, watching me as I slowly walked away from him. "I thought you guys needed work?"

"How long with the Guild?" Mando asked, stopping to turn and look at him. Toro growled with a small glare, hesitating.

"Long enough."

"Clearly not." Mando snapped, frustrated with the suspicious man. "Fennec Shand is an elite mercenary. She made her name killing for all the top crime syndicates, including the Hutts. If you go after her, you won't make it past sunrise."

Mando looked at me, indicating that we should leave. I nodded as we walked away from Toro; a frustrated look on his face. Just then, he stood up from the booth and chased after us.

"This is my first job..!" He scoffed. We both stopped walking, turning around to face Toro as he spoke. "You two can keep the money, all of it. I just need this job to get into the Guild.. I can't do this alone."