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While the Mandalorian headed inside the cave to collect the egg, Shivani stayed outside watching over the child. She ran her gloved finger over his wrinkled head as he stirred in his sleep. Now she understood why there were people coming after him. In some way, it comforted her knowing that there was someone else who felt different from everyone else. She supposed that's what their ragtag team is. Three individuals who were different from the people around them. At least the Mandalorian had places he belonged in. His tribe, the Guild, fellow Mandalorians. Shivani... not so much.
After a long, strenuous trek back to the Jawa sandcrawler, they are met with the sight of Kuiil waving for them. "Mando! Val!"
"We have it." The Mandalorian grunted tiredly. "We've got the egg." The Jawas cheered as they came streaming out of their transport. They swarmed the Mandalorian and Shavani, reaching for the egg which was deposited into their grabby hands. After a bizarre celebration, they slice the top of the egg open and chaos breaks loose. The Jawas seem to go crazy for the orange goo hidden within the thick fur of the egg. The Mandalorian shakes his head and the pair (plus the child's pod) head over to Kuiil. "I'm surprised you waited."
"I'm surprised you took so long." The Ugnaught retorts, making Shivani snigger behind her mask. The Mandalorian tilts his head to send her an exasperated look but she just raises one eyebrow and strides past him.
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Now with a cart overflowing with parts, the unusual group begins their journey back to the Mandalorian's ship. Shivani sits in between the bounty hunter and the child but she can feel the Mandalorian's gaze remain fixed on the pod.
"Is it still sleeping?" Kuiil shouts over his shoulder.
Shivani reaches her hand out to caress the sweet creature's cheek as the Mandalorian replies, "Yes."
"Was it injured?" Kuiil asks again.
"I don't think so. Not physically." The Mandalorian answers, watching as the child coos under Shivani's gentle touch.
"Explain it to me again." Kuiil demands. "I still don't understand what happened."
"Neither do I." The Mandalorian reveals glancing at Shivani for an explanation which she does not have. She shakes her head to show that she is just as clueless as he is. They arrived at the bounty hunter's ship in darkness, the skeletal remains lying abandoned in the sand. "There's no way we're gonna get this to work without a full maintenance facility. This is gonna take days to fix."
"If you care to help, it might go faster." Kuiil retaliates, making Shivani giggle quietly to herself. The Mandalorian snaps his head to her again.
"Come on, Mando." She sighs, heading over to help the Ugnaught. "Standing there complaining isn't going to get us off this planet."
"Val is right." Kuiil nods, handing the pair some tools. "There is much work to do."
And so, the unlikely team began to work together to restore the ship. Every so often, Shivani would check on the child to find him snoozing through the noisy repairs. The Mandalorian watched the woman from afar as he and Kuiil were replacing a metal panel. She seemed to care deeply for the child but was just as surprised with his abilities as he and Kuiil were. The woman sighed as she strolled back inside the ship to help Kuiil with the wiring and the Mandalorian shook the assets from his mind. This growing fascination with the pair would do him no good.
The sun sneaking above the horizon not only brightened the day, but restored hope to the group. As Kuiil flicked some switches, the ship powered to life. The Mandalorian inspected his beloved ship with newfound optimism. It looked like home again. Each engine roared with revived energy, a bright orange flame replacing the useless grey smoke. The ship was back to its glorious self and Shivani could finally see what it was supposed to look like. She had to admit that the ship was beautiful in its own unique way as the sun shined proudly on it.
"I can't thank you enough." The Mandalorian acknowledged the Ugnaught graciously. "Please allow me to give you a portion of the reward." Shivani's face falls behind her mask. She had forgotten that she and the child were only assets to be traded for a grand prize. The Mandalorian was still a bounty hunter, and nothing would change that.
Kuiil shook his head. "I cannot accept. You are my guest and I am therefore in your service."
"I could use a crew member of your ability," The Mandalorian offered as Shivani leaned against the walls of the ship with her hands crossed. "And I can pay handsomely."
"I am honoured," Kuiil began. "But I have worked a lifetime to finally be free of servitude."
"I understand. Then all I can offer is my thanks." The Mandalorian responds.
"And I offer mine. Thank you for bringing peace to my valley." Kuiil then turned to face the woman and approached her slowly. "Your name is not Val." Shivani remains calm and impassive, just like the Valkyries taught her to be, but internally her mind races with panicking thoughts. "But I understand that everyone has their secrets. I wish you the best. And I hope the Mandalorian comes to his senses."
His last sentence confuses Shivani but she chooses to ignore it in favour of thanking the Ugnaught who has helped them so much. "There are not many people left in this galaxy who offer help without asking for anything in return. Thank you for reminding me that good people still exist." Kuiil bows his head once in respect and Shivani does the same. Then the Ugnaught gathers his bags and mounts his blurrg.
"And good luck with The Child." He calls out, raising his hand in farewell. "May it survive and bring you a handsome reward. I have spoken."
Shivani follows the Mandalorian as he leads the way to the cockpit. The child's pod floats between them as the Mandalorian uses his vambrace to position it inside. Shivani helps herself to a chair close to the pod so she can monitor the creature as the Mandalorian takes his place in the pilot seat. He clicks the engine on, enjoying the feeling of his ship spurring to action around him. Kuiil waves farewell once more before the ship rises into the sunlight and shoots into the sky.
They reach the vast vacuum of space and Shivani marvels at the millions of stars dotted around them. Despite the dire circumstances, she's glad to be off of that planet and immersed in the galaxy around her. She never knew what life was like outside of Aurelia. One thing that hasn't changed about her over the years is that she has maintained her curiosity for other planets. For Katali, who loved hearing and teaching stories about other cultures. For Eos, who struggled to see the point in exploring the galaxy when she believed Aurelia was the centre of the universe. For Zaia, who was never given the chance to wonder if life could've been different for her.
Shivani's eyes catch sight of the Mandalorian gently rocking the pod in an attempt to rouse the child from his sleep. The movement doesn't do much and the child's steady breathing is the only sign of life displayed from the tiny creature. With a brief glance up at the woman, the Mandalorian swivels back round in his chair to continue piloting. But this means he misses the child waking up in a daze.
He coos as he spots Shivani perched on the edge of her seat next to him and blinks his large black eyes. Shivani softly grazes her hand over his head as he turns his stare to the Mandalorian, who remains oblivious and unaware. The Razor Crest speeds away from Arvala-7, leaving Shivani to wonder where they were heading and what was waiting for them?
