The Rogue: The Mandalorian

The Child

No ones POV

The ship started to descend into the planet Kore recognized as Arvala-7. She'd looked into hiding there a couple of times, but Jawas aren't a species she's especially fond of.
Once the ship had landed the Mandalorian stood up and started walking out.
"Hey! You can't leave me here!"
"I can and I am."
"I can help you."
"You'd run off I let you out."
"You have trust issues."
"You're staying."
Kore rolled her eyes. She wasn't staying. So once the male was out of sight she concentrated and started to pick the lock. It took no more then a minute to fully get out of the cuffs and once she did, she quickly untied her legs. Kore rubbed the skin around her wrists and gently got up from her seat, grabbing her abdomen in the process.
Kore walked over to where her box lay on the floor and picked it up, opening it up to grab the older, more deadly weapon that sat inside. She winced in pain before walking out of the ship, only to catch sight of the Mandalorian get rammed into by a blurrg.
Kore wanted to feel bad but at the same time she felt like justice had been served. She let out a grunt of approval just as another beast appeared, this one getting stunned just like the other.
"I told you to stay on the ship. How did you even get out of the restraints?"
Kore's face held no emotion as she did jazz fingers and said "magic."
She could feel him rolling his eyes. He was about to grab her wrist again but she quickly grabbed the chest plate of his armor and pulled him forward.
"I'm not going back on the ship. You'll have to drag my dead body on there before I let you. Now I just am going to help. I'm not planning on running. How else will I figure out who wants my head hm?"
They both were silent before the Mandalorian sighed and muttered out a 'fine'.
The local that sat on a blurrg called out to the two.
"You're a bounty hunter."
The Mandalorian nodded and Kore shook her head.
"I will help you. I have spoke."
The two followed the other male, who's name they learned to be Kuiil, back to his home.
The man said they'd be riding a blurrg and the two just looked at him.
"Many have passed through. They seek the same one as you."
"Did you help them?"
"Yes. They died."
"Well then I don't know if I want your help." Mandalorian sassed.
"You do. I can show you the encampment." They walked over to a pen where blurrgs were staying. "Who wants to go first?"
"You're up Mando."
The Mandalorian just looked at the girl, who didn't bother looking at him.
The Mandalorian kept getting bucked off his blurrg. Kore got hit with the males wild beast, being thrown into the fence. The bottom half of her shirt ripped, exposing the ugly black blue and purple skin around her stomach and chest.
Kore winced in pain, biting her lip to stop from groaning. "Control your pet!" She yelled.
Mando looked at her and stared at the skin through his helmet. She'd gotten hurt and acted like nothing happened. How bad was it? It looked really bad.
Kore just huffed, with much pain, and went over to her own beast, mounting it without any trouble.
"Perhaps if you took off your helmet." Kuiil had suggested causing Kore to snicker at the bounty hunters failings. She just calmly sat on her own beast, gently running her fingers over the rough skin of it.
"I don't have time for this. You have a landspeeder or a speeder bike I could hire?"
"Giving up?" Kore smirked, ready to hold this over his head for a long time.
"You are a Mandalorian! Your ancestors rode the great Mythosaur. Surely you can ride this young foal."
Mando just looked back at the beast before walking back to it, taking a more gentle approach, this time it let him mount it and the three were off.
They made it close to where the encampment was, Mando and Kore hopped off the blurrgs.
"That is where you'll find your quarry." Kuiil said.
Mando tried handing him some credits but Kuiil refused to take it.
"Please. You deserve this." Mando spoke.
"Since these ones arrived, this territory has been an endless stream of mercenaries seeking reward and bringing destruction."
Kore thought of her home as he spoke. Her home had been raided and her family murdered in their beds.
"Then why did you guide me?"
"They do not belong here. Those that live here come to seek peace. There will be no peace until they're gone."
"Then why do you help?"
"I have never met a Mandalorian. I've only read the stories. If they are true, you will make quick work of it. Then there will again be peace. I have spoken."
"Thank you Kuiil." Kore thanked before walking away.
Mando walked over to the cliff to scout out the base. He pulls out something to get a better look at the base and scans the land. There were many people around.
"Oh no, bounty droid." Mando groaned. "Stay here."
Kore snorted. "Remember last time you told me that? How well did that work out for you buddy?"
Kore started walking up the hill and looked down. Something was down there. Something that had a lot of power like her. She hadn't felt this since the days of the Jedi.
"What exactly are you hunting?"
Mando didn't reply and took that as him not wanting to tell her, when in reality he wasn't exactly sure.
"Well we'd better stop wasting time if we're going to get this thing shouldn't we?"
They watched as the droid started opening fire on the group.
"Droids."
The two went down the hill and over to encampment. Mando rounded the corner shouting "IG Unit! Stand down." Only to get shot.
Kore watched from the back, wondering what exactly he expected to happen.
He pulled out a small box with a rod on it.
"I'm in the guild!"
"You are a guild member? I thought I was the only one on assignment."
Mando moves for cover. "Makes two of us. So much for the element of surprise."
"Sadly I must as for your fob. I have already-" Kore stopped listening at that point and went to look for another way in. She rounded the back, concealing herself as best she can, and continued until she found the place where the force was strongest. Once she found it, she pulled out her lightsaber from her waistband and turned it on. The sound of it lighting up was drowned out but the sudden sound of blasters going off. The shine of the electrical blade lit up Kores face as she stared at it. The green hue had her almost dazed for a moment before she moved it with precision and grace, cutting a large hole in the building. The wall fell to the ground and Kore walked in, her saber still on, and made her way around the corner to where she felt the pull of the force. A green nikto came running up to her and way to easily she moved her arm and his head came tumbling to the ground.
Kore turned off her lightsaber and put it back. Just as she neared a pod a blast went off near her head. Quick as lightning, she pulled out her own blaster, pointing it at the person. It turned out to be Mando.
"What are you doing? How did you get in here?"
Kore didn't know how to respond, so she didn't. Mando caught sight of the body on the floor, head separated from shoulders and his questions only grew.
Instead he pulled up his device and it started to beep when he put it towards the pod Kore stood in front of. Again he looked towards her as if she'd answer the questions that just kept popping up.
The droid and Mando walked up to the pod, opening in up.
Inside was a small green creature, it had long ears and the largest eyes Kore had ever seen. It seemed so pure... untainted by the world. In her mind, she knew she had to protect this child.
"Wait. They said 50 years old."
"Species age differently. Perhaps it could live many centuries. Sadly, we'll never know."
"No. We bring it in alive."
"The commission was quite specific. The asset was to be terminated." The droid lifted up its arm and pointed its gun at the child. Kore looked between them and was about to react when Mando shot the droid.
Kore let out a sigh of relief, the fear of anything happening to the child had gotten to her. She watched as Mando held his finger out to the child, who reached out and grabbed it with his whole hand. Kore looked in between the two and an unconscious smile made its way to her face, only to drop as soon as Mando looked at her.
She walked over to the two a looked at the child a moment before carefully reaching inside and picking it up.
"Hello..." she said in a soft, gentle voice. Mando didn't realize this girl spoke in anything other then pissed off. Kore was careful with the child, not touching her broken ribs, which she had yet to have wrapped.
Wordlessly she walked out of the building, still cradling the child in her arms. Night wore on as they walked through the deserted planet. Kore had placed the kid back in the cradle, but never left it's side.
As it got darker the three stopped and Mando started to patch up the cut on his arm.
Kore watched for a moment before going over and grabbing the small tool and beginning to help him with the cut.
"What are you doing?"
"Amputating your arm. What does it look like?" She rolled her eyes as she continued to help him. Once she was done she got up, grabbing her stomach as she sat down against one of the rocks.
"What happened to your stomach?"
Kore looked down at her almost completely black stomach and sighed. "Broke a couple ribs I'm guessing. You prick you made jumping off a building look easy."
Mando let out the smallest of chuckles, barely heard by Kore.
"So how'd you kill that Nikto?" He asked seriously.
"Why do you assume I killed it?"
He didn't respond but turned his head towards her.
"Do you remember the age of the empire?" She asked, a far off look in her eyes.
"Of course."
"The time of the Jedi? What they were like?"
"Only stories."
Kore nodded and messed with the ground beside her.
"To some they were heroes. Others they were targets. They were the light. They were supposed to be the good guys right? It didn't feel like it. What they did. What-" Kore stopped herself from speaking anymore. Her fist clenched and she slowly let out a breathe.
"They were supposed to be good. But in a time of war is anyone really?"
The far off look consumed her and Kore was back on the battlefield, cutting down foes left and right. With the speed and precision she made it from one end of the battlefield to the other, taking down each and every one of the enemies that came into view. Although if we're being honest that's not all she took out and she knew it. Bloodlust hit her, and hit her strong. She was blinded by the pulse of the battlefield, it felt like she could feel the heartbeat of the land.
The last person Kore killed before the Nikto was a child. She couldn't have been more then ten years old. In the heat of the moment and with rage blinding her, Kore had killed an innocent child who'd done no wrong other than be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
After that kill, Kore left the Jedi, left the sith, left all signs of life that might make her have to take another living thing.
"-ore... Kore." Mando's voice drew her out of her spiraling thoughts. When she looked up she saw he moved a bit closer to her and now had bandages in his gloved hand.
"Hm?" Kore took the bandages and started to wrap her stomach.
"I've only seen a look like that in the most dead of soldiers." He commented. "Where'd you fight?"
Kore was silent. She wasn't sure how she'd respond, although she was sure he probably knew some of her background due to the fact he was still going to deliver her to some awaited target.
"Wherever I was called. Everyone melted into one huge jumble, there was no distinction between who was friend and who was foe. I wasn't on anyone's side so maybe that made me the villain. My only goal in the end was to live."
The two sat in silence for a while before the kid pushed himself out of the cradle and walked over to Mando, reaching for his arm. Mando just picked him up and put him back in the cradle.
Kore let out a laugh, admiring the scene in front of her. The child escaped yet again and began reaching for Mando's arm. Kore sighed and went over, picking the child up. A smile graced her features, underneath her mask. She hadn't taken it off since they left the planet she was hiding on.
The child wrapped his tiny hands around her mask and pulled on it. Kore let out a chuckle before taking it off and handing it to him. She pulled his robes closer to his small body to keep him warm and placed him back in the carrier.
The two took turns keeping watch until they saw first light. They started their march back to Mando's ship and the entire time Kore played with the child. When she knew Mando wasn't looking, she made small pebbles float above the child in his carrier. The child giggled and laughed in small baby talk.
Mando climbed up some rocks and looked over them, finding a heard of Jawas raiding his ship for parts.
Mando took his riffle off his back and shot a couple Jawas. Once he opened fire the Jawas began to run back into their metal fortress on wheels. Mando ran after it and Kore followed. The pod followed by her side until Kore felt the sickening pain of her abdomen stab violently at her. She fell to floor losing her breathe and sight of Mando. She started to cough and red stained the floor.
The child looked like it was about to start crying so Kore reached up, pressing a button on the pod so it would close. She used her hand and gently pushed it forward and it started to go after Mando.
She lost her strength and fell to the ground, blood mixing with the dirt as it stuck to her face.
She passed out quickly after that.
-time skip-
Kore woke up shortly after passing out to a blurrg licking her face. The pain in her stomach had subsided for the time being. She struggled to get on the back of the blurrg but managed to finally do it.
She rode all the way to Kuill's home, where she found Mando and the child, who had just grabbed a frog and ate it. When it saw her it immediately started walking towards her.
Mando noticed her after the child started to walk in the direction of Kore. He didn't forget about her but.. he had slightly more pressing matters then worrying about her well being. At least that's what he told himself.
She looked more of a wreck then before. Her mask was scuffed up and her goggles had a large crack in the right lens. Her shirt had blood and dirt on it but Mando couldn't remember if it always had blood on it or not.
Kore slipped off the beast and picked the kid, balancing it on her chest. It immediately snuggled into her and she gave it a small smile.
"You look like sh**." Mando commented.
"You charm all the girls like that or am I special?"
The three of them got on the back of a cart that a blurrg was attached to and Kuiil was pulling. The night wore on the slowly Kore slipped into a nightmare filled sleep but non of this was new to her.
She silently moved in her sleep, slowing reaching for her saber. Mando looked behind him and watched as Kore unsheathed her weapon in the dead of sleep. The child watched too, as Kore stood up and got in a battle stance.
Mando has to get up and stop her from accidentally cutting him in two. He grabbed her wrists and the weapon out of her hands. Once his hands made contact with her skin she fell over into him, making him have to stabilize her and gently put her back down. The rain had washed away the dirt and grim that had once caked her body. Mando didn't bring up the entounter when Kore awoke as they neared the metal domain of the Jawas.
"They really don't like you for some reason."
"Well I did disintegrate a few of them."
The Jawas were visibly tense, hands on their weapons just like Mando's was on his.
"You need to drop your rifle."
"I'm a Mandalorian. Weapons are part of my religion."
"Then you are not getting your parts back."
Kore watched as Mando sighed and reluctantly put down his rifle. "Fine."
Both Kuiil and Mando got off the ship, but the Jawas started to yell something and hit the blasters they had.
Kuiil turned to Mando and pointed to his side. "And the blaster."
Mando looked at Kuiil who started walking to the Jawas. "Good day!"
Mando took his blaster and dropped on the cart. Kore stood next to the cart by the child, blaster and saber on her hip. She wasn't really paying attention, just watching what was going on.
Kuiil summoned Mando, who walked over to him, and the two sat on the mat. The child watched this and Kore ran her hand over the top of its head absentmindedly in a motherly way.
The Jawas started speaking and Kuiil translated. "They will trade all the parts for the beskar."
"I'm not gonna trade anything. These are my parts. They stole them from me."
Again the Jawa spoke.
Mando started to speak in broken jawa language. "They, they... belong... to me!"
The Jawas laughed at his attempt to speak their tongue and compared it to that of a Wookiee.
"You understand this?!" His arm erupted in flames and Kuiil yelled at him for it.
"Whoa. Easy, easy."
Kuiil explained to the Jawas about the armor and asked what else he could trade.
The Jawa pointed to the child next to Kore. Jawas has also started to gather around them.
"Get away from it!" Mando yelled.
The Jawas started to flee but one poked at the saber on Kores side.
"Don't touch that!" She yelled and kneed the Jawa in the face.
Kuiil again spoke to the Jawa and the Jawa began to circle together.
They chanting something about an egg.
"The egg? What egg?"
The chanting continued as Mando, Kore and the child got aboard the fortress and rode along with the Jawas to the location of the "egg". It wasn't a very long ride but Kore gets claustrophobic. Her breathing got heavy and she shut her eyes tight.
Her hand was holding on so tight to the bar above her Mando thought she might break it.
When the fortress stopped the three got off and started to the location of this egg. Mando went in the cave while Kore opted to stay outside with the kid. Just as she started to make pebbles float she heard the sound of a blaster go off.
The next thing she knew Mando was being thrown out of the cave. Kores eyes widened as she watched the beast with one large horn come out of the cave. Mando attempted to shoot it but his rifle jammed. As he tried to fix it, he was rammed into and thrown by the beast.
The child started to cry a little and the beast turned and looked at the two.
It started to charge for them and Kore quickly pushed the baby out of the way, diving away barely in time.
Once again the beast charged for Mando and he quickly turned on the fire weapon on his suit. The beast hit Mando and pushed him into the ground, Mando used the fire to get the beast off of him.
This continued on for a while. Kore watched for the longest time but when she saw Mando sitting on his knees holding a single knife in his hands she felt she had to do something. The beast charged at him one final time and right as he got hear Mando he slowly started to lift in the air.
Kore and Mando's eyes widened and the two both looked at the child. Kores hand flew over her mouth as she watched him use the force to lift up the animal. After a moment the child fell back, exhausted by what he just did.
The beast fell and Mando immediately killed it. He then went into the cave to retrieve the egg and once he came out he saw Kore holding the child, kissing the top of its head.
As they walked back to the Jawas Mando questioned Kore.
"You know what just happened... don't you?"
".... No. It.. it shouldn't.... i don't understand.." confusion underlaid her words and she looked genuinely puzzled.
"Shouldn't what?"
"Nothing..."
They stopped talking after this and returned to the Jawas. After they got the egg they returned the pieces and the four of them were on their way. Kore walked beside the pod and cart, one hand holding the pod. She was so deep in thought she didn't even notice as Mando looked at the child or when Kuiil and him started talking.
"Is it still sleeping?"
Mando reached over to the pod to check. "Yes."
"Was it injured?"
"I don't think so. Not physically."
"Explain it to me again. I still don't understand what happened."
"Neither do I." This time Mando looked over at Kore. He knew she knew what happened, but she wasn't telling. Not that she had to. He still had yet to tell her who she was going to be delivered to once they got off this planet.
Kuiil and Mando started to fix the ship while Kore walked over to the pile of parts and dig out her black box.
The two males spent the rest of the night fixing the ship while Kore handed them the needed parts. Again, she was a lot stronger then she looked.
By morning the ship was up and running and they all said their farewells before leaving the planet.