Calamity || The Mandalorian

twenty-two

Suddenly, Winta rushed forward and enveloped the child who sat on the wagon in a hug, burying her face in his little shoulder. "I'm gonna miss you so much," Kasia heard her whisper to him, and her heart pretty much melted at the sight.

Next to her, Din stepped away from the cart and towards Omera who met him halfway. For a moment, the pair did nothing but stare at each other.

Still lingering by the wagon, Kasia watched the encounter as neutrally as possible—thankfully, her years as a skilled poker player allowed her to remain outwardly composed even as her heart clenched.

"Thank you," Omera finally murmured to the Mandalorian, her voice soft but firm even as Kasia felt sadness radiate from the beauty. Mando merely stared into Omera's eyes for a moment longer before nodding once.

Another moment passed, before Omera tore her eyes away from Mando and turned to Kasia. A small smile twitched across the woman's face, and Kasia felt a grin spread across her own lips. Without a word, the two stepped forward and embraced; Kasia may have slightly envied the woman for the ease and openness of her feelings towards Mando, but she still considered her a friend. Not to mention one the coolest people she had met.

Finally, she pulled away from the hug and stared into Omera's gorgeous brown eyes. "You keep everyone in check around here okay?" she instructed Omera in a mockingly stern voice, turning her attention towards the band of children she had grown close to in her time on Sorgan. She waved a finger at Riya, "Particularly that one."

At her words, all the children giggled, causing Kasia to grin. Letting go of Omera's arms, she walked over to all the kids and fell to her knees, pulling a few of them into a hug. "I'm seriously going to miss all of you guys," she pouted, frowning dramatically. "Seriously, with Captain Copperhead over there, I'm going to be bored out of my mind," she complained, jerking her head towards where Mando stood.

Captain Copperhead? Really? came Mando's expected reply a moment later, and she hid her smirk as she continued to bid all of her young friends goodbye.

Suddenly, Kasia felt a tap on her shoulder as she was saying farewell to Tanner, a cute five-year-old whom she had taught how to play Sabacc (without his parents' knowledge). Turning, she found Riya standing there, holding out one of the village's Limmie balls, a bashful smile on her face—a smile which Kasia soon realized was reflected on all the children's faces as they stared up at her eagerly.

"So you won't get bored," Riya told her shyly, blushing as she looked at the ground, and thrust the ball towards Kasia's chest.

Kasia felt her mouth drop open as she realized what the girl meant. "For me?" was all she managed to get out, the words sounding strangled as she found herself struck speechless at the gesture. She hadn't received a present since... well, since she had fled Eulentia. Wordlessly, Riya and the other kids nodded.

Gods Kasia pull yourself together. If you cry right now Din will literally never let you hear the end of it.

Slowly Kasia took the ball from the young girl's hands, holding it gingerly like it was the most important valuable in the world. Kasia supposed that to her it might as well be.

"This is—I just... thank you guys so much. It really means so much t—" Kasia's voice broke, still dumbstruck by the gesture of kindness. Obviously picking up on how touched Kasia was, Riya took another step forward and wrapped her arms around Kasia's shoulders. Immediately Kasia returned the hug after placing the ball on the ground.

She felt the other kids make their way closer to where Kasia and Riya sat, some of them going so far as to join in the hug while others merely stood nearby.

Fuck it, I don't care if Din teases me. This is too goddamn emotional for me, were Kasia's last thoughts before tears began to pool in her eyes.

Moments passed before Kasia at last extricated herself from the hug, bringing a hand to wipe away one of the tear trails on her face as she smiled at all the children in front of her.

"I'll see you guys again," she promised as she slowly got to her feet, grabbing the ball as she rose. She flashed them one last teary-eyed smile before turning and nodding at Din.

Together the two made their way towards the transport, Kasia jumping on the back of the wagon and pulling the child instinctively into her lap. In her peripheral vision, she saw Mando throw his rifle in the back of the carriage and settle down next to her even as she kept her eyes pinned on the farmers and the village behind them.

As the carriage began to roll away, Kasia rose her hand in farewell, the farmers copying the movement a moment later. Her heart throbbed as the village slowly began to disappear from sight, taking them away from the peaceful town and back towards the Razor Crest and the dangers of life on the road.

"Well, that was a rather tear-jerking farewell."

"Don't even start asshole."

*.*.*

Fluffffffff. Clichenesssss. I love kids.

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