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Tess stared up at the Mandalorian, tears drying on her cheeks, a frown growing on her tempered face.
"Who are you?" she asked, words like stones dropping into a river of sand, breaking the current. Tess was always the one to change the stream. The Mandalorian didn't flinch, from what she could tell. It was hard to see if her words had had any affect on the man when she wasn't able to see his face. Little did she know that the Mandalorian was looking at her in mild interest. He'd never met someone so young who could make even him want to leave the room.
Tess looked down at the child still clinging to her metal leg. "What is this thing?" she asked, moving her leg around, trying to shake the creature off. He didn't budge.
Finally, the Mandalorian spoke, only it wasn't to Tess. "Get away from her." he was speaking to the child. The baby cooed and looked up at the Mandalorian through those wide orbs. The child did not let go.
"Who are you?" Tess asked again. The Mandalorian did not respond, only pointed a warning finger at the child.
"Hey," he called. "Get away from her!"
"Marshal, who is this?" Tess turned to the man who'd saved her. She could tell he wanted an apology for the way she'd screamed and kicked at him only seconds before, but apologies were not in Tess' nature, and she was more curious about the new arrival then anything else.
"Kid," Mando said to the child. "Come here."
"Why does he wear Mandalorian armor?" Tess asked the Marshal.
"Hey, kid, get away from her!" The Mandalorian told the child. Tess looked to him in frustration.
"Why do you wear Mandalorian armor?" she asked.
Mando finally looked up, his hoarse voice exasperated and slightly out of breath. "What?"
Tess cursed. "Why. Do. You. Wear. Mandalorian. Armor?" She spoke the words clear and precise. Each syllable felt like a punch to the gut.
"Because I am a Mandalorian." he replied.
"So you do know who you are." Tess said bluntly. Mando took a step towards her.
The Marshal intervened and looked back at Tess. "Tess, come on." Tess rolled her eyes, but with the excitement dissipating at a quickened pace, memories of the dragon and her shop resurfaced. Tess' stomach twisted, and she went back to staring at her glass.
