Bounty ▹ The Mandalorian

7 | the sin

Mando noticed Celeste's presence but didn't say anything. Omera didn't notice her arrival since her back was to Celeste. Mando looked out the window and pointed to the children playing outside. "I wasn't much older than they are."

"You haven't shown your face to anyone since you were a kid?" Omera seemed shocked.

"He's a Mandalorian. It is part of their culture." Celeste spoke up, making Omera jump a little.

"I'm sorry." She looked down to the ground and scurried out. Celeste grabbed her plate of food and walked out without another word. Mando sighed and shook his head, knowing exactly what Celeste had done to Omera.

* * *

Celeste saw Mando leaving with Cara to go track down the Raiders to attack them soon. She hurried over to him. "Let me go with you." She proposed, pulling out her blaster—indicating that because she know knew how to shoot a blaster, she was ready to be a fighter, too.

Mando shook his head. "I don't know what's out there."

"Well, obviously. That's why I should go with you and Cara to scout it out." Celeste waved the blaster in the air around her face. Mando pushed her arm downward so she'd put the weapon away and not be so reckless with it.

"Someone's got to stay with the kid."
"He's safe here!"
"Great, so you will be, too."

Celeste groaned. "You're so difficult, you know that?" She told him, then spun on her heel to leave.

"Not any more than you." Mando called after her. She waved him off as she stomped away.

* * *

When Mando returned, he and Cara gathered the village to tell them the news of what they discovered. "Bad news. We can't live here anymore." Mutters of shock and disappointment sounded throughout the small crowd of villagers.

"I know this is not the news you wanted to hear. But we have no other options." Cara spoke out.

"You took the job!" One farmer shouted.

"That was before we knew about the AT-ST. The armored walker with two enormous guns that you knew about and didn't tell us." Cara pursed her lips in annoyance.

"We have no where to go." Omera told them.

"Sure you do. This is a big planet. I mean, I've seen a lot smaller." Cara frankly told them.

"My grandparents seeded these ponds!" One farmer yelled.

"It took generations!" Another added.

"I understand. But there are only two of us." Cara explained.

"No there's not! There's at least twenty!" The farmer pointed to his neighbors.

"I mean fighters!"
"We can learn!"
"Be realistic!"

"I've seen that thing take out entire companies of soldiers in a matter of minutes." Cara scoffed.

"We're not leaving." Omera sternly told Cara.

"You cannot fight that thing." Cara felt defeated trying to convince the farmers otherwise.

Mando looked around at their sanctuary. He felt happy at that place and he didn't want to leave either. "Unless we show them how." He spoke up. Cara looked back at him with an annoyed visage.

* * *

That night was the first night the three slept at the village. Although there was the danger of raiders lurking around, Celeste felt safe there. It was the safest she felt in a while. The last time she felt like that was before Vikkal sent bounty hunters after her. "You take the bed." Mando gestured for her to go ahead and claim the bed.

Celeste wanted to argue it but she knew, no matter what, it'd be useless as he wouldn't take the bed from her. She nodded, obediently, and took a seat on the plush bed. She kicked off her shoes and rolled under the covers. The kid had went to go sleep over at Winta's home for the night since he had played with her all day. Mando was weary to let him go, but Omera convinced him that he'd be safe under her watch for one night. She watched in the dim light as Mando set a mat out on the floor for himself. She couldn't see much, only the contours of his armor, in the poorly lit night. He took off his helmet and armor in the darkness to rest for the night. She tried to make out his face, but to no avail. "Can I ask you a question?" Celeste asked as soon as the two settled in.

Mando was quiet for a moment. His heart beat a little quicker as he was worried what she'd ask. "Yes?"

"Why do you stay? You could just abandon us and get back to working for the Guild and make the heaps of money you were before." Celeste asked.

Mando paused. "Because I couldn't live with myself if I knew something bad happened to that kid." Mando responded.

"And what about me? Vikkal, as disturbing as he is, wouldn't have hurt me. He would've kept me safe. Why did you come back for me, and stayed with me after all of it?" Celeste continued her inquiries.

Mando sat up from the ground and took a deep breath. He was trying to find the words to tell her how he felt but couldn't understand how to do so. He felt happy with her and the kid. At first, it was because he couldn't bear tearing them apart because of the undeniable connection the two had. Now, it was because she was like a breath of fresh air to him. After Cara had enlightened him about the way Celeste trusted him and practically loved him, his own feelings began to divulge about the woman. They had developed a friendship he had never experienced with anyone else and he wanted to preserve that so badly. It wasn't that he was sexually attracted to her, his emotions for her were on a far superior level. It was like they were friends—best of friends—meant to be together, forever, despite their initial differences. They were like puzzle pieces meant to be put together, and they balanced each other out. He was level headed and a killers. She was erratic yet caring. And that was a connection like no other. That is the connection that is rarely heard of in real life, only in fairy tales. "Because you are everything." Mando stated, and it told Celeste everything she needed to know. It was curt, but it was enough to wrap up everything that he was feeling for her and her for him.

Celeste's heart skipped a beat. She felt her whole body go numb and tingly. She didn't know what to say. She sat up on the bed and slipped down onto the ground to sit next to Mando. The two stared into each other's glossy eyes until Celeste placed her cool hand on his cheek. She still couldn't see him very well, just the faint reflections of his eyes and the contours of his face. Mando placed his hand over hers and absorbed the feeling of her soft skin touching him. Celeste leaned in and pressed her lips to his face. The experience was exhilarating, more so for Celeste because she couldn't see his face in the darkness and it left her imagination running.

When they pulled apart, they desired to feel more. Mando traced his bare finger up her arm until his finger reached her chin. Celeste pushed his back to the ground and hovered on top of him, her legs around his hips. Mando pulled her head down to kiss her once again, claiming her lips as his. Their actions advanced quickly and soon they become one, spiritually and physically. Their bond grew and now no one could come between them ever again after that night.

author's note: yeah they fucked, so what? let my ex-escort bb celeste live!