SEE ME, SEE YOU: Series Two

C H A P T E R T H I R T E E N

REINA'S POV

"Din, I think you are being a little unreasonable..." I admitted finally after an hour of silence between us. It was dark, limiting my unique vision, when Din and I and the child returned to the docks, hoping that the Mon Calamari deckhand had managed at least to refuel the Razor Crest in his absence. Unfortunately, it proved to be a long process for any substantial, which only angered Din even more since he believed Trask no longer held answers for him.

"I don't want to hear another word about it." Din growled, trudging through the alleyway that was lined with wooden crates with nets draped over them. The child squirmed in the crook of his arm. "Those people were not Mandalorians."

"Whether they are or not, they are the ones we've been searching for." I argued. "We need their help if we are to find the Jedi, right? You didn't even bother to remember what our primary objective is. Or has locating other Mandalorians like you always been your priority?"

"Enough." Din demanded in a low tone, stopping in our tracks to face me. My reflection in his helmet was barely visible in the dim lighting around us.

"I'm right, aren't I?" I scowled back. "This whole 'quest' has just been your excuse to find other Mandalorians, not deliver the child to the Jedi. I can't believe I'm just realizing this! We could've been asking any soul on any planet if they had heard of Jedi!" My voice rose in volume and hysteria the longer I ranted. "But noooo, I went along with your plan on tracking a single Mandalorian across the galaxy for information we could've received from any respectful citizen knowledgeable of Jedi. And to make it worse, we actually find Mandalorians, and you're unsatisfied because they showed their faces?! Ugh! I can't believe you right now!"

"There you are." a rough voice sounded in the shadows. Din and I both turned our heads to see a Quarren thug step into view, a sneer on his tentacle face. "You are going to pay, for killing my brother." Suddenly, we were surrounded by others emerging from behind the crates, all brandishing weapons.

"Let us pass." Din said.

The Quarren chuckled. "I don't think you understand. You killed my brother—" he drew his blaster, aiming directly at me. "and now I'm going to kill your little girlfriend." Din threw out a protective arm, pushing me behind him, but it made no difference. We were surrounded and vastly outnumbered. If we fought, it would put the baby in danger as well. I was trying to decide on a plan when I heard a whoosh of jetpacks as the three Mandalorians from earlier soared down from above, landing in front of the Quarren.

"He didn't kill your brother." The leader, Bo-Katan I remembered, coaxed. "I did."

The thugs barely had a moment to protest. After a sudden storm of blaster fire, the entire gang of Quarren lay dead on the ground. Din and I stared at the trio if warriors as they reholstered their weapons. Bo-Katan turned to us and shrugged. "Can we at least buy you a drink?"

It wasn't long until the five of us (six if you count the child bouncing on my lap) were seated around a corner table in darkened inn. My eyes strained from focusing on each of the Mandalorians' shimmering, hazy faces. We all spoke in hushed voices.

"Trask is a black market port." Bo-Katan explained why she and her comrades were on the moon. "They're staging weapons that have been bought and sold with plunders of our planet. We're seizing those weapons and using them to retake our homeworld. Once we've done that, we'll seat a new Mandalorian on the throne."

"That planet is cursed." Din said. "Anyone who goes there dies. Once the Empire knew they couldn't control it, they made sure no one else could, either."

Bo-Katan shook her head. "Don't believe everything you hear. Our enemies want to separate us, but Mandalorians are stronger together."

"It sounds like you are trying to recruit Mando here." I chimed in, ceasing my entertainment for the child. "I'm sorry to tell you, but we've got a task that we could really use your help on. That's why we were looking for you."

"You see," Din hesitated before continuing. "we've been quested to return this child to the Jedi."

Abruptly, the air around the table grew silent. It was as if the word Jedi casted a shadow over the conversation, a foreboding of sorts that hadn't been there before. I watched Bo-Katan glance over her comrades and sigh. "What do you know of the Jedi?" she asked.

"Nothing." Din admitted.

"How about you?" the leader nodded to me. I didn't respond immediately, which made Bo-Katan tilted her head in curiousity.

"Not much." I lied. "I've heard stories here and there."

"If you really are Mandalorian," Din said. "then I hope you will help us by creed."

Bo-Katan's eyes lingered on me a little longer, sending a disturbing chill down my spine. Did she see through my lie? If she did, is she going to question me? She didn't. Instead, she sighed and looked over at Din and nodded. "I can lead you to one of their kind. But first, I'm going to need your help on our mission."

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"Of all the Gungan-mindedness!" I growled as I stomped through the crowded streets of Trask, the baby tucked in the crook of my arm. "Sure, Mando! I'll sit out this one and baby-sit! No problem!"

"Watch after the child. I'll be back soon." He had said, completely ignoring my objections. Bo-Katan didn't help. In fact, she insisted with "You'd been a great asset if you had a mode of transportation up to the ship. I do not doubt you're fighting skills on solid surfaces, but if Mando is carrying you while flying, he will not be able to fight his way inside without protecting you first."

The child whimpered in my arms as his big eyes looked up at me. "Deja vù..." I muttered. "He never did answer me either. About what his true mission was..." After wandering aimlessly for so long, I finally gave up and collasped on a secluded crate. I stared directly into the child's saddened eyes, a tiny frown quivered. "I'm sorry...have I frightened you? I'm sorry." I hugged his little body close to my chest. "I'm just frustrated at Din, that's all." I exhaled through my nose to calm myself. "I shouldn't have said those things to him...Of course, you are his priority. You have always been his number one priority. He wants nothing more than for you to be safe with your own kind..."

I watched the child softened, a soft coo escaped his lips, as if to tell me That's right. I smiled and gazed up at the sky. With my vision, it was a pitch black canvas, with ships as silvery spots cruising across the blank surface. This new vision entranced me more and more. Did I long to see color again? Yes, of course. But there was something about this new way of seeing. Like, it was it's own world.

Croak! Squeak!

I turned my head towards a familiar sound and saw Tilly the Frog woman bounding towards us with a big smile. I greeted her just the same. She then invited me to stay with her and her husband while I waited for Din to return for me and the baby.