SHORT CIRCUIT ─ the mandalorian ✓

SEVENTEEN

The Mechanic and the Mandalorian were now a pair, whether they liked to think so or not, and they would continue to walk through the world with each other.

At the thought, the Universe cried out in joy, the stars twinkling brighter, the galaxy halting in it's tracks. Fate's plans had worked, the luck pushed upon the two as light as feathers had tipped the fate of the cosmos in favor of them. The girl of wires and machines was slowly softening, and the man of weapons and malcontent was lightening. Their equal burdens, the masks thrown over their slowly cracking features, was starting to pull back. For a while, the two would feel as if nothing could stop them. And for a while, nothing would.

(How were they to know that it would come to an end)

"This isn't going to work." Tess mused out loud, turning to the ladder. The Mandalorian's eyebrows knitted together under his helmet.

"It will." he called back. Tess didn't respond, but the Mandalorian could feel her glare boring into the back of his seat. "Okay, does he... does he have the wire?" Tess peered into the small hole tunneling through the inner workings of the ship, where far off she could see the child, green and clothed in tan cotton, holding two wires in his miniscule hands.

"Yes." she said back, then pointed to the child. "Okay, move the wire to the output." the child gazed at her with wide eyes for a moment, then hesitantly did what she said. Around them, an alarm blared, and Tess shook her head while feeling a prick of satisfaction in her stomach. She was right. Like always. The girl turned back around.

"No, nothing." Mando said, pressing to stop the alarm and spinning in his seat. Mando frowned when he saw Tess farther away standing by the hole, watching him carefully. He chose to ignore her knowing look and called the kid instead.

"Hey..." he said, stepping out of the seat and coming beside Tess. "Okay." Mando knelt down to eye level, Tess bending over with him. "Did you get the wire out?"

"This isn't going to work." Tess said again.

Mando made a pointed look at her, but Tess couldn't see it under his helmet. "I heard you the first time." Tess shrugged and looked back, where the child cocked his head to side, an innocent look on his wrinkled face.

"The red wire, kid." Tess called. Mando placed a hand on the rim of the small open panel. The child cooed and held up a blue strip, which made the Mandalorian sigh and Tess snort, raising a hand to cover her smile. The Mandalorian wished she wouldn't, but said nothing and continued to speak to the child.

"No, no, no." he said, exasperated. "No, the red one. Show me the red wire." He spoke slowly, enunciating each word so that the child would hopefully understand what he was saying.

"He's not gonna get it." Tess muttered. This time the Mandalorian reached up and pushed her shoulder. The girl gasped, but said nothing more.

"The red one." Mando repeated .

The Child cooed while Tess continued to shake her head, but she was surprised to find that after a moment, the little thing rose it's hand up, with the correct wire plucked in his little fingers. Mando let out a short laugh, and his head turned to the side, triumph emanating from beneath his beskar. Tess scowled at him, but couldn't deny that the child had done well.

"Okay," Tess said apprehensively. "Now plug the red wire where the blue wire goes in the board." the words were stilted, and Mando couldn't help but wince at her tone.

"You have to be gentle." he told her scoldingly. Tess simply raised an eyebrow, not familiar with the term. Mando had to agree, it was a bit of a stretch. Tess Oprin was anything but gentle. She was harsh and cruel, with no soft edges in her nimble body. The Mandalorian didn't even know why he had said that, understanding immediately that Tess wouldn't comprehend the notion of being gentle.