Stowaway | A Mandalorian Love Story | Din Djarin x OC

Chapter Eight: Targets

Suggested Listening:

Bonding in Jail - Randy Edelman (from Shanghai Noon) | ...back in the desert
The Shooting Lesson - Joel McNeely (from A Million Ways to Die in the West) | ...target practice and a smooth ride

"Time to get up."

I lifted my head and blinked, groggily. Mando was standing at my feet, peering through the door to the sleeping rack, holding the kid in one arm.

"What time is it?" I asked, blearily. I had been in a deep, deep, dreamless sleep for the first time in what felt like forever. Mando had seen me drifting off in my seat and had insisted that I take the rack while he drove, so after a few futile protests I had clambered down there and crawled into the tiny space, certain that it wouldn't be comfortable — and then promptly fallen into a borderline-comatose state.

I furrowed my brow, feeling the heavy satisfaction of sleep slipping away as my body woke itself.

"Time to get up," he repeated. I sighed and obliged, hopping down from the rack heavily.

"Okay," I muttered. "I'm up."

"Great. Follow me."

I stared after him, marveling at his energetic gait. Heaving a weary sigh, I headed down the ramp after him.

I swear to all things mighty, there must have been some sort of cosmic force that kept boomeranging me back to this dusty, sweaty, stupid planet. We were in Peli's hangar on Tatooine once again, and while I was happy to see her, I felt frustrated to be back in the place I kept trying — and failing — to flee.

"Correct me if I'm wrong," came Peli's loud, brassy voice. "But didn't I just fix this for you?"

"We ran into some trouble," said Mando.

"Oh," said Peli with surprise when she saw me emerging from the shadow of the ship. "Hi again! Kala, right?"

"Kyra" said Mando and I in unison. I looked at him in surprise.

"I thought you were just hitching a ride," said Peli.

"I was," I began to reply, but Mando interjected.

"She's joining my crew. Helping out with the kid."

Peli looked pleased to hear it. I wondered if she worried about him traveling alone so much.

"Well lucky you!" She cooed to the kid, who wriggled happily in Mando's arms Then she looked up at Mando with a straight face. "You, however, are less lucky."

"What is it now?" Asked Mando wearily.

"This," she pointed at the Razor Crest. "Is a big job. And due to some recent financial movements, I, uh... I gotta call in your tab, Mando."

"That wasn't part of the deal."

"I know, I know," she held up her hands, helplessly. "I wish I could give you 'til the next equinox like we agreed — verbally agreed—" she turned to me with a shrug. "There was no written contract." She returned her attention to Mando, apologetically. "I'm sorry, Mando, but especially with everything your ship needs this time around, I'm gonna need the cash."

Mando sighed and shifted his weight.

"Peli, I haven't done a bounty in a while, I've been busy trying to figure things out for the kid."

I cleared my throat.

"I don't have much," I said, pulling my coin-purse off of my belt. "But I have some credits, I'd be happy to—"