•Broken and Beskar• The Mandalorian

Chapter XXIV: Was It My Fault They Were Killed?

Author's Note: This chapter does contain self-harm. There is a warning before the section so viewers please advise. 

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Cold water jetted out of the nozzle and straight onto Nylah's bareback. She sighed in relief as it dropped down her warm skin. She wouldn't be surprised if steam rolled off her body. Nevarro was hot, with its underground lava rivers and loose ash. Ash, much like dirt or sand that got into every crevice and wouldn't get out without a fight.

On Raydonia, the only sand there was was at the bottom of a river or lake. The soil and dirt was constantly moist with the rain, so rich in nutrients you could scrape your knee, coat it in a layer of mud and it would heal by the end of the day.

Raydonia was home, but a home she could never return to. Too many painful memories. Too much death.

As she closed her eyes, Nylah could almost imagine she was there. With the exception of the hum of the ship's engine, the water hitting her back, and the metal she was standing on. Yeah, just like home.

Nylah tucked her clean shirt into her pants. She replaced her dirty clothes with fresh ones after the whole fresco of Nevarro. As she put her dirty clothes into a crate Mando let her borrow, she saw a hint of blue. Nylah knelt to the ground and reached in. The delicate fabric of the dress she was given on Sorgan danced across her fingertips. Nylah sighed, remembering her time on the forest planet. The laughter of children. The smell of the breeze. She moved some of her belongings to access the bottom of the crate. At the bottom rested her dress and the doll Winta made her. She swept back a few stray threads of the doll's dark brown hair. A small smile spread across her face.

Heavy footsteps sounded above her, before finding their way to the ladder. She replaced the objects in her crate and closed it before Mando had a chance to see in.

"You ready?" Mando asked her, reaching the bottom of the ladder. He looked down to see her hands laid carefully on the closed lid of the crate.

Nylah nodded, "Yeah."

"Lay down," he told her. She looked back up at him, a sudden, erotic thought coming to her mind.

"Nylah."

"Sorry." She said, before lowering herself to the ground. She rested her head on her folded arms. Her feet crossed at the ankles.

"Can I lift up your shirt?" He asked.

Nylah's cheeks started to heat up, "Yes."

The cut was across her lower back transversely. It was red with irritation and caked with dried and wet blood. Mando took note of the burn marks that plastered around the open wound.

He looked down at the open first aid kit and quickly found the ointment. He removed a glove and began spreading the ointment across her skin. She flinched in pain.

"Is that the shit Peli gave you?"

"Stop moving."

A moment passed before Nylah lifted her head from her arms and looked over her shoulder, careful not to disturb Mando's actions too much.

"So um, what now exactly?" She could tell by the slight movement of his helmet that he had glanced at her face.

"Now we get the child back to his own people."

"And how do we do that exactly?"

"I need to look into some options but I'll let you know as soon as I know." Nylah said nothing in return, opting to close her eyes as Mando finished bandaging her back. Nylah had never seen a creature such as the child. She could only imagine starting on a lead to find his people would be difficult.