To The Stars || The Mandalorian

Chapter Eighteen

She lags behind with Kuiil who sat on top of the only blurrg left from the fight as morning comes, and watches the others walk ahead with him. She could see Greef talking things over with his guards, but she couldn't hear them from where she stood. Cara and Din stood in the middle, and were also whispering to each other.

"Did you ever tell me you were part of the Empire, Kuiil?" She asks, glancing up at the Ugnaught who appeared deep in thought.

"Long ago when you were a child, but you were busy chasing frogs and nearly got stepped on by the blurrgs," he comments, and she winces. Another memory she'd gladly forget, and actually did forget about until now.

"I'm listening now," she insists.

"You always did have your head in the clouds," Kuiil shakes his head. "and have odd choices in friends."

"You're stalling," she frowns.

"Some other time, perhaps," Kuiil hums. "when we don't have listeners. I have spoken."

She sighs heavily. Once he says his famous "I have spoken" line she could never get him to change his mind. She notices Din lagging away from the group, and her eyes narrow at his limp movements. She glances over at Kuiil who's also noticed this and nods over to him. She awkwardly salutes him as she rushes over to the Mandalorian.

"You sure you're alright?" She stresses, and he jumps slightly at her voice.

"I'm fine," he says. At her pointed look, admits, "I may be regretting my decision not to eat anything earlier."

"You're a stubborn bantha, I hope you realize that," she sighs. Looks like what Cara told her earlier about him refusing the droid's service is true.

"I know, I know," he agrees.

"I had no idea the kid could do that," Dessa says, patting the child's head.

"He tried to do the same thing with you once," Din admits. She glances over at him in shock.

"What? When did he--?" She asks in a rush, but then stops when she realizes what he's referring  to.  "Oh."

"I had to stop him," he's apologetic, "Remember what happened with the Mudhorn?"

"Yeah," she remembers it clearly still in her mind. "you were worried he'd go comatose again."

"Yeah," he admits. "whatever he did, it tired him out."

They suddenly stop walking and are in the middle of nowhere.

"So this is it," Greef says.

Dessa's eyes narrow at him in suspicion. This is nowhere near the town she remembers. She hears guns click from behind her. Kriff! She knew they couldn't trust him!

Greef whirls around, and kills the two Guild members that were standing behind them. He raises his blasters in the air.

"There's something you should know," Greef says. The two are pointing their own blasters at him still, keeping careful watch of his every move, "the plan was to kill you, and take the kid, but after what happened last night, I couldn't go through with it."