𝐜𝐲𝐚𝐫𝐞'𝐬𝐞 - 𝘥𝘪𝘯 𝘥𝘫𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘯

Seeking Serenity

seeking serenity • gn!reader
Mando, overcome with anxiety in the aftermath of a risky event, needs you to bring him back to reality—and asks for much more along the way.

—§—

Nothing has frightened you more than the sound of a Mandalorian's voice breaking.

You hear the sound for the very first time in the midst of a hostile encounter gone wrong. Before you can even think about pulling your blaster, you hear the sound of a detonator rolling on the ground below your feet. You take a few good steps before the force of the explosion sends you sprawling many yards away, knocking the wind out of you.

But Mando doesn't see that. All he sees is the blazing explosion and the image of you lying motionless on the ground near it. That's when you hear his modulated voice cry out your name with such horror and devastation that it breaks and splits into a million fragments that pierce your heart.

You can hear the blaster fire and you wish to help defend yourself, Mando, and the baby—but you can't get yourself off the ground fast enough. Your ears have started ringing and you're still trying to get your bearings after the sudden explosion. By the time you've gotten yourself to sit up, Mando's already at your side, offering a gloved hand as he helps you back on your feet.

"You okay?" Mando asks through a struggled breath. His hands remain firm on your shoulders as you watch his visor search your body for wounds.

"I'm fine," you assure him, reaching for your blaster as you seek out any other threats. "Just got the wind knocked out of me." You gesture to the curious child who's peeking out of the brown bag on Mando's hip. "I'm glad you had him with you this time."

Mando can't even pretend to act amused. You're surprised; he's usually the one who cracks a joke to ease the tension in these situations. All he can do is give the area one last look before running back to the ship and urging you to do the same. You can see three hunters on the ground, each with multiple lethal blaster wounds.

But all it usually takes for Mando is one shot.

You try to accredit Mando's behavior to the nature of the surprise attack. The Razor Crest isn't far and you know he'll feel better once you're back in the safety of hyperspace. Once you've boarded, you take the child from Mando, giving him the freedom to get the ship into the air. He's distracted in a way you've never seen before. It's almost like he doesn't know his ship anymore as you watch Mando turn around and hesitate before approaching the ladder.

You share a look with the baby. He coos, a long and troubled sound, and lets his ears fall towards his arms. You somehow know exactly what he's saying, and you feel the same way.

"I'll check up on him, don't worry." You smile as the child releases a coo of relief. You brush a hand over his head and bring him over to Mando's cot, where a hammock's been strung up for the little one to sleep in. "You need some rest after all that excitement."

The child coos again, this time also letting his eyes fall closed. You chuckle to yourself as you set him down, wrapping him in the blanket Omera had lended him back on Sorgan. With a deep breath, you step away from the baby and close the door, heading up to the cockpit as you say a silent prayer that everything's fine.

That's when the Crest jerks so hard you're almost thrown off the ladder.

Your eyes widen as you rush to climb the rest of the way up. The door to the cockpit slides open and grants you entry. You walk into what looks like a normal scene, aside from the fact Mando's frozen at the controls—once again acting as if this ship is foreign to him.

"Is something wrong, Mando?" You walk over to him until you're close enough to set your hands on the back of his piloting chair. The first thing you notice is his tight grasp on the joystick, the leather covering each hand pulling as tight as the material can manage. The next thing you notice is that you haven't even left the ground yet. "I thought we were about to get into a dogfight."