Bounty & A Solo (The Mandalorian x OC)

Soup

Mando rolls over and stands. "No." The woman walks up to me and scans her eyes over me. "Do I know you?" I look at her small tattoo showing her reliance to the resistance. "Aria Solo." I stick my hand out accepting hers. "Cara Dune."

~

"Saw most of my action mopping up after Endor. Mostly Ex-Imperial Warlords. They wanted it fast and quiet. They'd send us in on the drop ships. No support, just us. Then when the Imps were gone, the politics started. We were peacekeepers, protecting delegates, suppressing riots. Not what I signed up for." Cara takes a sip from the bowl of soup. "You had a lot more going on. I thought you were dead." Aria nods letting the child sit in her lap and play with her fingers. "I wanted it that way. I had staged it to look as I had either died or plainly vanished. Anyone who needed me had my contact under the table. I was doing pretty good until this happened." Aria gestures to the child and Mando.

"How'd you end up here?"

"Let's just call it early retirement. Look, I knew you were Guild. I figured you had a fob on me.
That's why I came at you so hard." Cara explains shrugging. "He's got a habit of that," Arai says spreading her fingertips along the shiny beskar on his arms.

"Yeah, that's what I figured."

Cara nods pushing her empty bowl forwards and standing to her feet. "Well, this has been a real treat, but unless you wanna go another round, one of us is gonna have to move on, and I was here first." Aria waves as Cara exits the hut.

Mando sighs looking down at Aria's fingers playing with the loose strings of his clothes below the amour. Aria looks up from the child and smiles at Mando. He places his hand over hers sighing. "Well, looks like this planet's taken." Aria rolls her eyes. "Pitty. I liked the trees. It's beautiful here."

Mando watched as Aria whisked the child away and walks in the direction they came.

"You're far more beautiful than any tree."

~

"Oh, almost buddy! Look here comes another!" I laugh as the child reaches up for small lighting bugs flittering in the air. I look over my shoulder and see Mando tinkering with his ship. I scan over his helmet wondering just exactly who is under the weighted metal.

The child coos and gabs my fingers. I sigh looking down at his big eyes. "Between you and me I think Mando is kinda cute," I whisper to him causing him to laugh and gurgle.

"Excuse me. Excuse me, sir."

I whip around holding the child close. Two men walk up to Mando near the wings. "There something I can help you with?" Mando speaks without turning around. I walk closer setting the child on the ramp patting him along. "Go on inside."

"Uh, yeah. Raiders." One speaks stumbling. "We have money."

"So, you think I'm some kinda mercenary?" Mando asks still paying attention to his ship. "You are a Mandalorian, right? Or at least wearing Mandalorian armor."

"Miss, isn't your husband a Mandalorian?" I inhale sharply. "Uh." Mando looks at me halting his movement. "I am." I stare at Mando locked into his gaze.

"See? I told him. Sir, I've read a lot about your people Tribe. If half of what I read is true -" "We have money." The two men argue back and forth ripping my attention away for Mando.

"How much?" I ask stepping around the wing. "Everything we have, miss. Our whole harvest was stolen." "Krill. We're krill farmers. We brew spotchka. Our whole village chipped in." They wave the small bag of credits in front of me.

"It's not enough." Mando agues without looking. "Are you sure? You don't even know what the job is."

I place my hand on Mando's upper arm. "Maybe we should help them." Mando shakes his head. "I know it's not enough. Good luck." I drop my grasp and back away sighing. "This is everything we have. We'll give you more after the next harvest."

I turn my head to Mando gazing at him with sad eyes. "They need help." "We're not helping, Aria. I'm not looking for any fights right now."

"Come on. Let's head back." "Took us the whole day to get here. Now we have to ride back with no protection to the middle of nowhere."

I watch as the farmers start walking towards the path they came. "There goes an opportunity." "Why do you care so much?" I turn around to face Mando. "I'm just looking out for us."  "Why?" I roll my eyes walking away and muttering under my breath. "That's what family does."

~

"What did you say?" Mando asks Aria as she continues her way in. "Nothing." She crosses her arms and disappears into the ship.

Mando sighs once more contemplating his choices. They can't stay here for much longer. "Where do you live?" Mando calls out. "On a farm. Weren't you listening? We're farmers."

"In the middle of nowhere?"

The two men nod confused. "Yes?"

"You have lodging?"

The men step forward with a hopeful smile. "Yeah. Absolutely." Mando nods walking up near the entrance ramp."Good. Come up and help." Mando walks in seeing Aira walking away deeper into the Crest. "Hey!" Mando races to catch her wrist. "We're going to help them." Aria smiles and nods. "I knew you would make the right choice." Aria reaches her hand to his helmet but awkwardly lowers her hand remembering his reaction after previous moments between them. She pats his chest plate. "Good job." Mando stops Aria from walking away placing his hands on her shoulders. He trails one hand up her jaw and having it land home on her cheek.

"Excuse me, but should we... wait outside?" One of the men speaks up looking at the couple. Aria smiles, a blush growing to her cheeks. "No. We're ready when you are gentlemen." Aria walks away fighting her growing blush and smile.