The Space Between Us - The Mandalorian

Chapter 1

The other person, who had screamed, jumped down to be with their companion. Both were women, one older, one younger. 

The young woman was surrounded, outnumbered, but kept crouched by her injured companion. "Go to hell!" she shouted at their pursuers. They just raised their blasters. 

Mando pressed the button on his gauntlet, and a few whistling birds shot forward and swirled around before striking their targets, shocking the woman. 

He rounded the corner and she pointed her blaster at him. He raised his hands - well, the hand that wasn't wrapped around the baby.  "That last shot was from me. I'm not here to harm you."

Now knowing no harm would come from him, the woman turned back to her injured companion, bleeding in her lap. 

"Mentor-"

"You must go - you must take this and go, without me-" The injured woman was pressing something into the young woman's hands.

"No, no! This is our mission-"

"Yes, and now you must be the one to finish it. Go, I have faith in you..."

"Mentor, please-" But the older woman, Mentor, was already gone. "Damn it!" the young woman cursed, slamming her fist into the ground and biting back tears.  They had come so far, only for it to end like this. 

"What was the chase all about?" Mando asked her.  

"We were being hunted. The last of the Krystal Keepers."

"The what?"

"That's what we called ourselves." She sniffled.  "I'm the last one. We were on our way to deliver this." She held something small wrapped in cloth in her palm. 

"What is it?"

"A crystal we mined as slaves, and fought to protect as free people. We don't know it's full potential, but just know that it's extremely powerful."

"You're a former slave?"

"Yes."

 "I'm a Bounty Hunter, so I know all about carrying precious cargo."

"It's not easy."

"No, it isn't. Where do you need to deliver your package?"

"I don't know. Mentor and I were supposed to meet up with a contact for more information - hopefully. Uh, your chest is moving..." Two big long ears popped out from beneath the fabric. "Oh!" A gurgling green baby was staring back at her. 

The kid reached out towards her, then turned and looked up at Mando - it was easy enough to translate that: he wanted to help her. 

Well, wanted Mando to help her. Again, he sighed.  This was not ideal. As he turned away, the child wailed and squirmed in protest, flailing his little arms, evidence to his theory. 

He had been hoping to gain supplies here on this planet, not another companion. But the kid clearly had other ideas. 

"Come with us." 

She looked up at him through teary eyes.  "What?"

"We need supplies and you're being chased. If those hunters were sent, there are more coming. We need to move, now."

She looked down at her fallen companion.  "What about-"

"Leave the body."

"But-" Just leave it in the middle of the street?

"We haven't got time to move it. You come with us now, or not at all."

She gave one last long, lingering look before moving to stand. "Come on, CC."

He hadn't even noticed the small droid crouched by the body until it beeped and moved to follow her. "No droids."

"CC is Mentor's droid - was Mentor's droid. She'd never forgive me if I left him behind."

"I don't work with droids."

"I'm not just gonna leave him here so he can be captured and torn to shreds for his parts."

The droid beeped in alarm as though he had not considered this. 

"No droids."

"He's not dangerous, if that's what you're worried about, he moves and beeps, that's it. Please, he's all I have left."

The child gurgled. Clearly Mando found himself outnumbered three to one. He did not like those odds.  "Fine," he ground out. "But keep it out of my way."

"Will do, thank you." 

Mando turned on his heel and headed back through the marketplace. 

"You be on your best behavior," she whispered to CC.

"What's your name?" Mando asked. 

"Uh..." She hesitated.  "Franceska."

"Is that your real name?"

"No, but I wish, I love that name. Aula Taine." She thought maybe he would introduce himself, but he didn't. "You're a Mandalorian."

"Yes."

"I've heard about you, but never seen one in real life before."

"How did you know?"

"The helmet, I've seen images." 

They climbed aboard his ship.

"Where were you taking the package?" Mando asked. 

"To a contact, someone who could help us identify it. Someone Mentor knew."

"Who and where is this contact of yours?"

"Takodana. I'm looking for someone named Maz Katana."

(Okay so I've decided this takes place during Season between Episodes 3 and 4, so after Mando steals back Grogu but before they meet up with Cara on Sorgan :)

So this is technically a prequel to my Poe love story, but read them in any order you wish! :) I was imagining Aula to have similar weapons to Nat, and then thought, 'why not just cast Nat as her?' so that's what I did!

Thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed! :))