One Endless Night - A Mandalorian Fanfic

Chapter 13

Yara swallowed and her throat felt strangely thick at the thought of Mando flying away all alone in his ship. She didn't know what to say and she couldn't help feeling as though his words were somehow directed at her. "It'll break his little heart," Yara said because she couldn't think of something else to say.

"He'll get over it," Mando said stoically. "We all do."

Yara felt something in her chest constrict at his words. She could almost feel his pain as he spoke those words and she took a step closer to him so she was peering up into his helmet. She wanted to comfort him knowing he was thinking about his family. He understood because his heart had been broken when he was just a child. His pain called out to her and unable to help herself she took another step closer and laid her palm against his chest plate.

Mando looked down at where her small hand rested gently against the hard, cold surface of his armor and it nearly broke him. He knew saying goodbye was going to be hard, but he hadn't expected this. They had only known each other for a couple weeks. The tightness in his chest only furthered his resolve that he had to leave. He couldn't stay here with her and the kid any longer. If he did he wouldn't be able to leave. With Yara so close he wanted to reach out and cup her cheek in his hand, but he closed his hands into fists to stop himself. He couldn't do this.

This is the Way.

Yara knew his answer even before she spoke, but she wouldn't be able to live with herself if she didn't say something. That feeling of unease had evolved into a tangled knot in the pit of her stomach. He was leaving them. "You could stay too you know," she said gently. Her voice was so quiet and unsure he had to strain to hear her. "He could be a child and grown up safe. And we could just...be..." she drug off helplessly. "Wouldn't that be nice?" She asked peering up into the dark reflective surface of his helmet.

"It would," Mando agreed and his voice broke even through the modulator. Behind his helmet he pinched his eyes shut so he wouldn't have to look into Yara's gentle violet eyes as she asked him to stay. "I don't belong here, but he does...you do," Mando told her adamantly. "You're safe here,"
He said gesturing to the peaceful village.

As though to prove him wrong, a gunshot echoed through the trees.

Mando's stomach dropped and he truly felt fear for maybe the first time since he was a child. He had two people to protect and he was too far away from the kid. Mando grabbed Yara without hesitation and wrapped his arms around her, trying to protect her as best he could with the beskar that was strapped to his body.

He froze for a moment and when another shot didn't follow he looked down at the startled Yara. Her violet eyes were wide as he cradled her against his chest. "You okay?" He asked.

Yara nodded. "I didn't see that," Yara said, she closed her eyes for a second and shook her head. "Nothing," she told him apologetically.

"Get the kid, get the rest of them inside," Mando ordered and he pushed her towards where the kids had been playing, forcing himself to let her go across the open expanse of the village. Yara nodded and ran through the village to find the kid. She stayed low to make herself a smaller target even without Mando saying anything. Mando took off for the woods.

Yara found the kids all hiding behind crates and barrels, their eyes wide with fear. "Hey kiddo you okay?" She asked gently and she scooping the child up in her arms and cradled his tiny body against her chest. "Come on everyone, this way," she called and she guided the rest of the children into the barn where they would be out of sight lines and easily defended.

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Mando broke through the treeline and found Cara standing over the body of a bounty hunter. There was a massive blaster hole in it's chest that was still smoldering. He kicked over the body and found two trackers, linked together by a single silver ring. He bent down and picked them up, turning them experimentally.