Atin ~ [Mandalorian x Oc]

Chapter 3 - Duraanir

She nearly choked on her own saliva. An entire camtono? This guy is better off than I originally thought. The thought of a big payment was extremely alluring, knowing that she could take a few months off from working. However, she was also weary of it. A big payment meant two things; one, the task that paid so handsomely would be either near impossible or an almost guarantee of death. Two, if the Imperial warlord was able to give a payment in advance of beskar and then pay an entire camtono of it for a completed job without being bothered, then he was up to something. Imperial guys with lots of credits to their name in a galaxy where the Empire had been wiped clean, could only mean that they were trying to rebuild. Now whether it was simply him alone or not was impossible to tell. She hoped it was only him, then he would probably die before he was able to do some real damage.

"Do we have an accord?" his hissing speech brought her out of her thoughts.

He was watching her intently and she felt the imposing presence of the Imps around her almost suffocate her. She should not stay more than she has to, she had all the information she needed and could be given. It was time to leave and just get started on the task at hand.

She angled her helmet to him and snatched the beskar ingot from the table, giving him a court nod.

The man smiled a disgusting smile at her and clasped his wrinkly hands together, "Good. I trust you will be successful."

Another silent nod from Werda before she turned and walked out, two Stormtroopers flanking her behind to make sure she didn't wander. Not that she was in the mood to wander either way.

As soon as she stepped out from the building and the door creaked shut behind her, it was as if she could finally breathe again. From spotting the Stormtroopers that let her in, her entire body had gone into hunting mode. Her adrenalin had shot through the roof and prepared her by heightening all of her senses to be finely attuned to anything that could be portrayed as danger. Her lungs had been wrapped in worry and it almost made it feel as if she was underwater where air was scarce. Walking around the corner of the building, boots slightly dragging on the dry ground, her goal was to create a distance from them. Her skin crawled with uncomfort underneath her armour and clothes. Making it into a side alleyway where there were a few big cargo crates stacked on her right to block the view into the streets, she undid the latch on the left side of her helmet, hearing it sigh as it unlocked. In the alleyway she would be out of sight from any onlookers and felt safe in removing her helmet. Or rather, tearing it off as it almost became suffocating. She heaved a big breath of relief as it came off, releasing her hair to fall down around her shoulders. In the slight temperate breeze that blew past, it shifted her hair along as if it was comforting her. Brushing her hair away from her face and rubbing its hand along her shoulders, telling her that it was okay and that she was safe here.

But there was no one here to comfort her. She was alone in a shabby, broken down alleyway hiding, clutching her helmet in her hand to calm down from the anxiety that brewed within her. The Imps, the fucking Imps had triggered this. She had not seen someone from the Empire, much less any Stormtroopers, for years since they lost the war. The nightmares from what they had done and the wounds they had left with her had never fully healed. But she had it under control, she had learnt to live with them. Yet now it seemed like it was only yesterday it had happened. All that terror, the fear and the soul breaking sadness she had gone through in their clutches came crashing back in at the sight of them. She had thought herself stronger than this, but the memories hurt too much. More than believed.

The following minutes were filled with her slowly gaining control of her breathing to calm down. Anxiety slipped off her slowly like clothes drying in warm weather and carefully her senses were turning back to normal.

"Fucking Imps..." she mumbled to herself, only the passing breeze close enough to hear her. Gazing down into her helmet, flashes of her past flickered within her mind. Not forcefully as before, but gentle like the wind around her.

As she leaned against the rough wall, mindlessly rubbing her thumb along the edge of her helmet, muddled sounds of boots marching determined reached her ears. Instinctively she stopped her fiddling and honed in on the sound. Was it simply a passerby on the other side of the crate wall, or was someone finding their way closer through the winding alleyways?

Listening carefully, the sound was definitely coming from her left, the one side that had another small passageway crossing over. Quickly she spun her hair up on her head and replaced the helmet, clicking shut the safety that kept it from falling off. Just as her gloved finger eased off the helmet, the footsteps were right upon the corner two metres on her left. As she exhaled her first breath within it, she looked up and met the cold gaze of– Mando?

The Mandalorian had halted at the surprise of seeing the fellow bounty hunter in any tucked away street like this. Normally they wouldn't go around this area, only the main street and maybe some shops for equipment and repairing tools. It was curious to the Mandalorian, more than he could think possible. After all, they were a lone bounty hunter like him, only more talkative. Or rather, teasing as proven earlier this morning when he bumped into them by the door to the cantina. What were they doing here?

Their helmets stared into each other for what felt like hours to them, but in reality only was half a minute. Werda, being put off by her panic mere moments ago, grew tired of it quickly. She had had enough of strange encounters and having a staring contest with Mando had already been accomplished today. Pushing off the wall she walked straight towards the Mandalorian.

Seeing them firmly kick off the wall and head straight at him triggered a response of reaching towards his blaster. But they veered at the last second and only bumped his arm as they pushed past, seemingly storming down the street he had just come walking down. He turned his head and followed their movement up the street before turning right to get back towards the ships. Or so he assumed at least.

There was something about them. Hiding in the alleyway and then storming off, their boots landing heavy on the ground contrary to their usual light walking. It wasn't something that put him at an edge as a potential danger, but enough to hook his mind... Shaking his head as he caught himself still standing at the small crossing, he carried on walking. He had a job to do and the mysterious employer that was new to town seemed to have a sizable reward promised. Or at least more than Karga could give. He huffed to himself as he walked along, the thought of the low paying bounties he had been offered was not enough to cover fuel these days. They had been right when they told him to 'be prepared to be disappointed'.

He came to a stop in front of a bronze rusted door and knocked firmly on it. After the droid head had scanned his chit, the door opened and he was instantly met with two Stormtroopers walking out to flank him. Dank farrik.

~*~

Another chapter for y'all! 

I'm posting quite a lot on this story and it's because I want to get the story going properly as the first few chapters are still introductions to the Oc and what's going on. 

I have NOT abandoned Dar'Solus, just want to get a few chapters out on this one and then I will start to alternate between the two :)

Love, the Author <3