Tatooine

9K 227 49
                                    

No ones POV

The ship shook as it was being shot at by another bounty hunter. Kore was standing up, but had been thrown to floor more then once. She closed her eyes and tried to blow out one of the other ships engines, but that moment Mando said "hold on." And decided to spin the ship.
Kore was thrown into the wall and groaned as she glared at Mando.
"GREAT FLYING!" She yelled sarcastically.
"Just sit down."
"I can bring you in warm, or I can bring you in cold." The man in the other ship said.
Mando stopped the ship, making Kore and the child jolt forward. The child and Kore just looked at each other like 'really?' And 'we're gonna die'. The looks were mostly Kore but the child still offered his own looks.
"That's my line." Mando said before shooting the other ship and watching it explode.
Mando started flipping switches to get the ship at least flying to the nearest repair port.
"Losing fuel." He said.
"Gee. I wonder w h y."
Mando ignored her and turned off everything before restarting the ship.
"Oh my god you turned it off then turned it back on and it actually worked."
The only time Kore actually spoke to Mando, was to make snide or sarcastic comments. Other then that she felt like giving him the silent treatment.
"Kore? Kore really? The silent treatment?"
Kore moves so she was glaring at Mando.
"You're lucky all I'm doing is giving you the silent treatment. You wanted to leave m-to leave us. I thought-" she caught herself and turned away, tears appearing in her eyes. Her small misfit family on the run wasn't what she thought. Kore shook her head. "Next planet you can leave me there."
"What? No you don't-"
"What? What difference does it make? You wanted to ditch me on the other planet? What makes this different?"
Yep. She was salty.
They made it to a planet and as they flew over it someone patched through.
"This is MOs Eisley Tower. We are tracking you. Head for bay three-five, over."
"Copy that. Locked in for three-five."
They entered the planet's atmosphere and made way to bay three-five. Mando landed the ship and Kore walked over to the child, picking him up before Mando could.
"Really?"
Back to the silent treatment.
"Kore come on. I'm sorry okay?"
Kore smiled at the child though it broke her heart.
"You're going to be just fine baby. Hm?"
The child was asleep so it made no noise and Kore kissed the top of its head before placing it in a small room to keep him safe.
"I love you green bean."
She closed the door and walked out.
"You don't have to leave. I'm sorry for before."
She said nothing as she exited the ship and then went into the town. She was looking for lodging/not really. She was mostly blowing off steam. Kore wasn't mad anymore, a little salty but not pissed like she was before. When he first told her she wanted to snap his neck. For making her look like a fool for thinking he actually wanted to be with her, for getting her hopes up of actually having someone.
That's why she's distancing herself. Kore didn't want the ones she loved anywhere near her if she did snap.
She walked around the streets of Tatooine but if being honest, Kore always hated the desert. She grew up on the lonely planet of D'Qar and she'd take the green of planet over this tan sand any day.
On her way down the path she passed by some spears with stormtrooper helmets mounted on them. Kore gently ran her fingers over them as she walked by before walking to the cantina.
It had business but still seemed dead.
She walked over to the bar and put a couple credits in front of the droid.
"Ardees."
"Right away miss."
The droid left and came back with her drink and Kore nodded in thanks. When she went to go sit down some idiot decided to try and flirt with her.
"Hey., how are you doing?" He smirked, thinking he was cute.
Kore took a sip of her drink before looking at the male. He was okay looking. She might even go as far as to say cute if he shut up and left her alone.
"What."
"My names Toro Calican."
"I don't care."
"I wanted to buy you a drink."
Kore lifted up her hand which had her drink in it.
"Already got one. Bye now."
"Oh come on. At least let me get you another?"
"Begon thot."
"You know, a pretty girl like you really shouldn't be alone out here."
"My gods! What will it take for you to leave me alone?!"
At this he perked up. "One drink."
Kore sighed deeply until that turned into a groan and she just waved her hand. She downed her drink in one go and looked at Toro.
"Fine. One. Then you leave and if you ever try talking to me again, I shoot you in the foot."
"Hey, that sounds like a good deal to me. Tin, two glasses of-"
"The strongest s*** you have. *mutters* I'm gonna need it dealing with this wack."
Toro slid into the seat across from Kore and tried to keep up his cool guy demeanor.
"So I didn't catch your name beau-"
"I didn't throw it."
"Ohoho. That's fine. It just builds mystery and intrigue."
"What the hell do you want? Why are you bothering girls in bars?"
"You looked sad and a pretty face like yours should never be like that."
"Then why did you come over! Now I'm just annoyed! And it's you and your miserable faces fault."
"Ouch."
Kore sighed and rubbed her face. "Sorry. I'm just pissed and need someone to blame and you decided to bug me so here we are."
At this moment Mando entered the cantina and Kore groaned more.
"Oh frick me."
"Gla-"
"I swear if you finish that sentence you'll never to able to have children."
Mando hadn't noticed her yet and walked over to the bar to talk to the droid.
"Hey, droid, I'm a hunter. I'm lookin for some work."
"Unfortunately, the bounty guild no longer operates from tatooine."
"I'm not looking for guild work."
"I am afraid that does not improve your situation, at least by my calculation."
Toro spoke up and Kore bashed him in the knee with her foot.
"Think again, tin can."
Mando turned and was surprised to see Kore sitting there with the other male, sipping on her glass.
"If you're looking for work, have a seat, my friend. Name's Toro, Toro Calican."
"Oh god this is your actual personality. One drink won't be enough to deal with it."
Mando walked over and waited a moment for Kore to move aside but she was being stubborn and only moved slightly. Mando just sat down, them being extremely close to one another. Kores face burned but she blamed it on the alcohol and Mando even wore a slight blush himself.
Toro placed the bounty puck on the table and it displayed a woman.
"Picked up this bounty puck before I left the mid rim. Fennec Shand, an assassin. Heard she's been on the run ever since the new republic put all her employers in lockdown."
"I know the name."
"I followed this tracking fob here. Now the positional data suggests She's headed out beyond the dune sea. Should be an easy job."
"Well, good luck with that." Mando proceeded to get up and looked at Kore. She looked at him and rolled her eyes, grabbing Toro's untouched drink and downing that before getting up herself.
"Wait, wait, wait, hey. I thought you needed work?"
"How long you been with the guild?"
"Long enough."
"Clearly not. Fennec Shand is an elite mercenary. She made her name killing for all the top crime syndicates, including the Hutts. If you go after her, you won't make it past sunrise."
"This is my first job."
Kore put her hand over her mouth. "Oh my god he's just a child."
"You can keep the money, all of it. I just need this job to get into the guild. I can't do it alone."
Mando thought it over for a second. "Meet me at hanger three-five in half an hour. Bring two speeder bikes and give me the tracking fob."
Toro broke the tracking fob. "Don't worry, got it all memorized."
Kore chose now to smack him upside the head with the force of every angry mother in the galaxy.
"Half an hour." Mando and Kore left, walking in silence back to where the ship was located.
"What were you doing?"
"What do you mean? I was trying to enjoy a drink when that kid wouldn't leave me be. What the hell do you mean what was I doing you're going on a trip with that fool."
"We need the money. Look Kore I've said I'm sorry what else can I do to get you to accept it?"
Kore stopped walking and shoved Mando into the side of the building.
"Don't. Leave. Don't threaten to leave us. Don't say you leaving is whats best or you're doing it for our safety. Just don't."
Mando nodded and Kore stepped back to let him go. Mando walked over to her and rubbed his thumb over her cheek, causing her to place her hand over his. Once again in an isolated area, the two shared a fleeting kiss, though this one much for forgiving and loving then the last. Kore closed her eyes as he trailed smaller kisses down her jawline only to return back to her lips.
"I'm sorry..." Kore spoke quietly as Mando pulled down his mask once again.
"Why are you apologizing?"
"I was acting like a prick."
Mando just hugged her and the two started walking back to the ship.
"Twice."
"Hm?"
"That's twice we've kissed and I don't even know your name. Which is kinda a level of weird that isn't too weird since you're Mandalorian."
Mando chuckled a small bit and looked at her. "Dyn Jarren." He spoke.
Kore looked satisfied with that answer. "Dyn... it's good to know you Dyn."
Kore started to feel lightheaded and dizzy but after a moment it passed.
"You okay?"
"Yeah... yeah I'm fine."
They got to the ship and entered it, but mando noticed where they left the child was now empty.
He ran out of the ship and yelled "Hey!"
"I'm awake! I'm awake!" Peli shouted and the child started to cry.
"Where is he?"
"Quiet! Oh. It's okay.. you woke it up. Do you have any idea how long it took me to get it to sleep?"
"Give him to me." Kore said walking over.
"Not so fast! You can't just leave a child all alone like that."
"You think I wanted to leave him? I had to go look for lodging. So if you would like to criticize how I take care of my kid please go ahead but lady, you won't like the outcome of that I assure you. Now hand me my kid."
Peli looked at her a moment more before handing Kore the child.
"Hi baby..." Kores mood immensely perked up once the baby was back in her arms. The child too was giggling.
"Anyway, I started the repair on the fuel leak. There you go. I had a couple setbacks I want to talk to you about. You know, I didn't use any droids, as requested, so it took me a lot longer than I expected. But I figured you were good for the money since you have an extra mouth to feed."
Mando walked on the ship and got a bag.
"Thank you."
Peli obviously wasn't expecting that.
"Oh, I guess I was right. You got a job, didn't you? You know, it's costing me a lot of money to keep these droids even powered up."
They all walked out to where Toro was standing next to two speeders.
"Hey Mando. What do ya think? Not too shabby huh?"
Mando went over and inspected the bikes, not seeming very impressed.
"What'd you expect? This aint Corellia. Hey beautiful." Toro winked at Kore who flipped him off. The child in her arms giggled.
Toro got on his bike first and Mando followed then both of them were off.
Kore felt that same feeling from earlier but now she felt as if she'd pass out.
"I think... I might've been drugged." Kore said as she leaned against the wall.
"What? Why do you think that?"
"Because I'm gonna.... pass ou-"
As Kore put her head against the wall, she slipped out of consciousness.
:*:*:*:
When Kore awoke she was inside the ship, sleeping on the cot that Mando had. She shifted so she could stretch and got up to go find Peli and the child. She looked down and saw she was wearing her pajamas but she only vaguely remembered putting them on. Her head pounded and she barely could walk.
"Dam. The last time I was drugged this bad..." a sharp pain came from the back of her eye and she let out a small huff.
She started walking down the hall when she caught sight of Toro.
"Why the frick are you in here?" The splitting headache she had reminded her she had bigger problems.
"Well-"
"Who cares. Why the f*** did you drug me you piece of sh**?"
"Oh so you figured that out?"
"Not my first time."
"Well, I think I should've taken advantage of the drug while I had the chance." His smirk made Kore feel sick.
"You're disgusting."
"You offend me. Just come over and this little one won't have to get hurt." Toro pulled the child from behind his back and a blaster too.
Kore blinked and she was back at her old house, standing in her bedroom. Her fiancé slept peacefully in the bed next to her and another figure stood in the doorway holding her little brother hostage.
"Just go to sleep Kore." It spoke.
The drug often offered hallucinations. Kore shook her head, trying to clear her mind but her vision kept switching between past and present.
Toro grabbed her arm and Kore yanked it back, but most of her strength was gone and he held on tight. They walked out to the platform of the ship and waited there.
"Took you long enough Mando." They walked out from the dark, Toro pushing Kore forward with his blaster. Kore looked bad, like about to drop on the floor dead bad. "Looks like I'm calling the shots now. Huh, partner?"
"What'd you do to her?"
"Drop your blaster and raise 'em."
Mando complied, not wanting anything to happen to either of them.
"Cuff him."
Kore staggered over to Mando, sweat pouring down from her head.
"You're a guild traitor, Mando. And I'm willing to bet that this here is the target you helped escape."
As Kore was going to put the cuffs on Mando, he held something in his hand.
"Fennec was right. Bringing you in won't just make me a member of the guild, it'll make me legendary."
Right then Mando turned on a flash charge. A bright light consumed the two and they quickly ducked away. Mando shot Toro and he and the child fell.
While Mando went to go check and make sure Toro was dead, Kore searched for the child. She found him behind some barrels and hugged him close.
"It's okay... it's okay..."
After paying Peli, and thanking her for watching the child and Kore, they left. Kore needed to go sleep off the rest of the drugs, that or throw them up but she preferred the former. So she handed Mando the child and kissed the part of Mando's helmet which would be his cheek and walked away.
"Thank you... Dyn."

The Rogue: The MandalorianWhere stories live. Discover now